Sony is finally ready to talk about what it has in store for its next-generation console, the PlayStation 5. After stringing gamers along with some bafflingly inept marketing, the house of Uncharted is going to unveil the first footage of games running on the PS5 hardware next week. Will we finally get a release date announcement out of this conference?
That one is actually hard to say. The most recent comparison we can draw from is how Sony handled the launch of the PS4. At E3 2013, Sony took to the stage for its annual E3 conference and announced that its latest device would cost $399. This undercut Microsoft by $100 and gave the device a pretty clear lead going into the holiday. What we didn’t get out of the conference was a release date.
It would take another two months before Sony would confirm at Gamescom 2013 that the PlayStation 4 would release in November of 2013. Either because of a lack of stock or a desire to drum up hype, Sony held its cards close to its chest when giving us details on the PS4. I completely believe we’ll see a repeat of that strategy here.
A lot of the reason for that repeat might actually be down to the current global pandemic. With Sony reportedly producing fewer units this time around because of chip shortages, it would be in the company’s best interest to hold off revealing a release date until it is 100% sure of whether or not it can deliver the console this year. Doing so will also have the knock-on effect of creating more anticipation.
One thing the company should talk about is pricing, however. Currently, neither Sony nor Microsoft have announced what their next consoles will be priced at. We have a ton of speculation about the COVID-19 crisis driving up prices, but then counter-evidence from Microsoft’s own Phil Spencer saying the company is looking to keep costs down. Confirmation would go a long way to getting people excited.
While competition between both Sony and Microsoft is expected, neither should be playing “price chicken” with each other this time out. With the global crisis not showing any signs of stopping, now is not the time to try and be a craft businessman. Just announce the price, explain the reasoning, and let it be.
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