[jwplayer hRlzg0BA]Sony sparked backlash after revealing its August 6 State of Play event would not feature any major PlayStation 5 announcements. Fans have become frustrated that the next-gen console still has no price or release date.
On August 3, Sony revealed that their upcoming State of Play would only showcase PS4 and PSVR titles. The company warned viewers that it would not focus on substantial details about the PS5’s launch.
The reveal sparked backlash on social media after players became fed up with the next-gen hardware still not having a release date or pricing, despite the console releasing in “Holiday 2020.”
PS5 fans are frustrated
Sony revealed that their next State of Play will be over 40 minutes long, and will heavily focus on the PS4, PSVR, and some PlayStation 5 indie titles. However in a blog post on their website, the company cautioned viewers to not expect PS5 hardware or launch news.
“Just to be super clear — there will be no PlayStation Studios updates in Thursday’s episode. There won’t be any updates around hardware, business, preorders, or dates either. Our focus is squarely on showcasing some cool upcoming games,” it read.
The publisher reiterated the announcement on Twitter, stating, “What to expect: A focus on PS4 & PS VR games. No big PS5 announcements!” Their tweet was met immediately met with backlash from players.
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State of Play returns Thursday at 1:00pm Pacific!
What to expect:▪️ A focus on upcoming PS4 & PS VR games▪️ A few quick check-ins on third-party and indie games from June’s PS5 showcase▪️ No big PS5 announcements!
Tune-in details: https://t.co/kgrDFZsHd2 pic.twitter.com/9AIPFnh3CT
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) August 3, 2020
The post received thousands of replies from those upset that the company still has not given the next-gen console a release date or pricing. Users such as ‘Rocketfuel777’ explained: “We need the price and ability to preorder! Some folks need to plan the budget.” ‘Vhero’ echoed a similar sentiment: “How can you get to Aug 6th with no price and release date with a console out this year??”
The Sony tweet had gotten so much negative feedback that ‘no PS5’ began trending on the social media platform. Even industry analysts such as NPD’s Mat Piscatella weighed in on the topic. “At some point, retail hardware allocations must get locked. Retailers have to know how many they’ll have to sell, and how much they’ll have to spend to acquire the inventory. We’re getting late in the game, retail needs to know,” he said.
Piscatella also pointed out that PlayStations 5’s launch consoles will no doubt “sell out” regardless of what the price or release date is. Still, the lack of information this close to launch is interesting, to say the least.
It’s still uncertain who will make the first move – Sony or Microsoft. At the time of writing though, neither company has made any signals that they have plans to reveal a price or release date anytime soon, despite both systems supposedly coming out this Holiday.