We saw a massive leak earlier this week that revealed plenty of PS5 details, including the console’s price and launch window. What’s more exciting, the leaker said Sony will hold a PS5 event on February 5th in New York, at which point PS5 preorders will kick-off. None of that can be confirmed for the moment, but Sony just made a move that signals a standalone PlayStation press conference is coming soon.
The company confirmed in a statement that it doesn’t plan to attend E3 2020 this year, via VentureBeat:
After thorough evaluation, SIE has decided not to participate in E3 2020. We have great respect for the ESA as an organization, but we do not feel the vision of E3 2020 is the right venue for what we are focused on this year.
We will build upon our global events strategy in 2020 by participating in hundreds of consumer events across the globe. Our focus is on making sure fans feel part of the PlayStation family and have access to play their favorite content. We have a fantastic line up of titles coming to PlayStation 4, and with the upcoming launch of PlayStation 5, we are truly looking forward to a year of celebration with our fans.
E3 is the leading gaming event of the year, and you’d think Sony would want to be a part of it in 2020 of all years, just as the PS5 launches. However, Sony was a big absent last year, and, in a way, it’s not surprising to see Sony walk away from E3 again. Maybe the company doesn’t want to share the stage with anyone else, especially Microsoft, whose Xbox Series X is also due this year. And we can safely say that Sony won’t use E3 to launch the PS5.
Sony’s decision to snub E3 again also indicates that a PS5 press conference is forthcoming. Even if all the reports that mentioned the mid-February PS5 presser were wrong, it’s likely we’ll see the PS5 become official before mid-June, when E3 kicks off.
Sony will likely want to capitalize on all the PS5 buzz and give the console plenty of coverage in the months preceding the actual launch. After all, Sony did something similar back in 2013. Sony unveiled the PS4 in stages, starting early that year with a PlayStation event. At E3 2013, however, Sony revealed the PS4’s design.
Also, while Sony might not be present at the E3, some of the studios that are already working on PS5 and Xbox Series X games might be there, and they might want to introduce future PS5 games.
Finally, let’s not forget that Microsoft already unveiled the Series X design, so the pressure is on Sony now, to show the world what its brand new console looks like. That should happen sooner rather than later.
Aside from making it clear, with five months to go until E3, that it doesn’t want to be there, Sony did not make any other announcements about the PS5.
