PS5 price and release date reveal: how to watch the PlayStation 5 Showcase now PS5
Finally, after numerous retailer ‘leaks’ and minor marketing beats, Sony is likely to reveal the official PS5 price and release date during today’s PS5 Showcase live stream – which has already started! Scroll down to watch it right now. You can also follow along with our PS5 Showcase live blog for insight on everything we learn.
Key details about the PlayStation 5 have been held back longer than we normally expect from a next-gen console launch. In a normal year, release and price details would be revealed in June at E3 ahead of the console’s release in November – but this is not a normal year, and there was no E3 in 2020. Sony has therefore staggered the reveal of key PS5 details, and following the console’s full physical reveal in June, this livestream is expected to tie up all remaining loose ends ahead of pre-orders opening up.
The PS5 Showcase is finally Sony’s moment to put everything on the table about the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition, like the release date, price, and how pre-orders will actually play out. We’re also expecting to see the announcement of some new PS5 games, and probably new showings of existing titles. Microsoft dropped every piece of info it had on the Xbox Series X and Series S launches last week, and this is likely Sony’s attempt to make its final big pitch before the consoles release in late 2020.
Want to watch today’s PS5 Showcase? Below we’ll explain how to watch the PS5 Showcase live.
How to watch the PS5 Showcase
The PS5 Showcase has begun, and it kicked off at 9pm BST / 1pm PT / 4pm ET (September 17 at 6am AEST). According to Sony, the showcase will last around 40 minutes. And you can watch it below via this embed link.
[embedded content]
If you want some informed commentary to go alongside the PS5 livestream today, then check out our accompanying reaction stream on everything we’re going to learn during Sony’s presentation. Key members of the TechRadar will be offering a detailed explanation of whatever goes down today. Here’s a link for that:
[embedded content]
PS5 Showcase: what we’re expecting
The most pressing information we’re expecting from the PS5 Showcase is an official confirmation of the PS5 price and release date – as well as information on PS5 pre-orders. This is the last piece of the puzzle for Sony, and follows Microsoft doing its own confirmation last week for its new consoles.
We’re predicting the PS5 to be around $499, with the PS5 Digital Edition potentially coming in at $399 – but, considering Sony has emphasized “value” over “price” when it comes to next-gen, that could be wishful thinking. We’ll just have to wait and see, but we’re hopeful it’ll compare well to the Xbox Series X.
The PS5 release date, on the other hand, is somewhat easier to predict despite Sony only confirming the PS5 will release in “Holiday 2020.” As consoles have always released in November, and the Xbox Series X is coming out on November 10, we’re expecting the PS5 to release sometime in mid-November – leaving enough time for gamers to get pre-orders in and to give a good run-up to the Christmas period.
It’s worth noting that Sony hasn’t officially confirmed we’ll be getting PS5 price and release date information during the showcase, but with Microsoft having laid its cards on the table with the Xbox Series X (and Xbox Series S) price and release date, it looks like the game of chicken between the two companies could finally be over. Plus, it’s already pretty late in the year for Sony to be revealing this information, based on previous console launch roadmaps.
What Sony has confirmed, though, is that the PS5 Showcase will “feature updates on the latest titles from Worldwide Studios and our world-class development partners”, meaning that we’re going to be getting some updates on previously confirmed PS5 games, which may include the likes of Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Horizon Forbidden West – and we’re expecting the company to finally unveil the PS5 launch line-up.
In addition to these confirmed titles, we’re also expecting some potential surprise announcements for unconfirmed PS5 games, with rumors pointing to a Silent Hill reboot reveal. Speculation has also pointed towards Final Fantasy 16 coming to PS5.
That’s a lot to cram into today’s 40-minute stream, so we’re not sure how much of this we’ll get, but it’s going to be an interesting show.
Finally, after numerous retailer ‘leaks’ and minor marketing beats, Sony is likely to reveal the official PS5 price and release date during today’s PS5 Showcase live stream – which has already started! Scroll down to watch it right now. You can also follow along with our PS5 Showcase live blog…
