Sony has told us nearly everything conceivable about its next-generation video game console, the PlayStation 5. We know its launch games lineup, including the highly anticipated superhero sequel Spider-Man: Miles Morales. We know the devices have a futuristic vibe to them, with curved sides that could look right at home next to a Star Trek starship. We even know the controller has special trigger buttons that give us feedback to make the objects we interact with in the game world feel like they’re here, in our hands.
The only things we don’t know are what it will cost and when it will hit store shelves. We may find out at 1 p.m. PT Wednesday during Sony’s PS5 Showcase.
Sony didn’t say much about the event when it tweeted the announcement over the weekend with a video showing off the PS5’s design.
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“It’s possible we also could get information on some things we really need to know before purchasing the console: the price and release date,” CNET sister site GameSpot wrote of the tweet.
Whatever the price may be, both Sony’s and Microsoft’s upcoming consoles mark a key moment for the video game industry, transitioning to new devices that promise faster chips and new features to make games all that much more complex or realistic-looking.
Somehow, Sony and Microsoft have made it comically long into their preparations for their dueling next-gen consoles without telling us fundamentals like price and release date. At the beginning of the year, all we knew was that the devices would launch by the holiday shopping season.
The missing information became sort of an inside joke whenever I’d talk to Sony’s and Microsoft’s teams. I’d work the question in as often as I could, reminding them I have to ask — and them acknowledging that of course I’d ask. PlayStation head Jack Ryan and Xbox head Phil Spencer got the question too.
The lack of information became a meme within the game community, where rumors sprouted that Microsoft and Sony were playing a game of chicken, seeing who’d blink first and announce their price at risk of the other adjusting their price to beat it. For what it’s worth, both companies repeatedly denied that.
But after a series of leaks about Microsoft’s entry-level Xbox Series S that’ll launch alongside its more powerful Xbox Series X, the company said they’d cost $299 and $499, respectively, and launch Nov. 10. They’ll also be available on a payment plan of $25 per month and $35 per month, including access to a bundle of the company’s gaming social network and other subscription services.
Sony hasn’t said it’ll announce its launch date and price at Wednesday’s event, but it’s a fair bet at this point.
Start Time
The PS5 event will take place …
US
1 p.m. PT on Wednesday, Sept. 16
4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 16
UK
9 p.m. BST on Wednesday, Sept. 16
Australia
6 a.m. AEST on Thursday, Sept. 17
How to watch online
Sony will be streaming the event live on its official site here, but you can expect Sony to also host that livestream on its YouTube channel and its Twitch channel.
We’ve also embedded the livestream at the top of this page, so you’ll be able to watch the PS5 showcase event right here.
What to expect
Considering Microsoft laid all its cards on the table regarding the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S, you’d have assume Sony will provide a price and release date for the PS5 and the PS5 Digital Edition. We’re getting close to the holiday season, so it’d be nice to know how much the consoles will cost and when they’ll actually arrive on store shelves.
We can also expect to see more footage of games shown in previous PS5 livestream events. Hopefully that means more Horizon Forbidden West and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. We might even get to see more of that juicy Demon’s Souls remake.
Rumors are also swirling that we could see the next installment in the Final Fantasy franchise.
CNET’s Sean Keane and Mark Serrels contributed to this report.
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