The reveal cycle for the PlayStation 5 has been rather unconventional. Sony has decided to gradually release little tidbits about its next-gen console instead of offloading everything in one go. Most of the information that we’ve gotten about the PS5 has been about the internals though. However, as we gear up and head towards 2020, things have started to get serious.
At this point, we know that the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Scarlett will be releasing around the holiday season in 2020. So, only a year to go until both of these companies push out their consoles onto the store shelves. We know about the internal hardware of these consoles but substantial information including the price, the release date and the reveal event date has yet to be disclosed.
Leaked PS5 dev kit design
However, despite Sony’s attempts to keep these details hidden though, we finally have some leaks that have uncovered it all.
PS5 release date and price leaked on Twitter
There has been a lot of speculation about the release date of the PlayStation 5. After all, launching earlier than your rival does have its own benefits. Both Sony and Microsoft, at this point, will be trying to figure out their release dates in order to one up the other company. However, we have an early leak that points towards the fact that Sony has already made up its mind, almost an entire year in advance.
According to a leak by PSErebus on Twitter, the PlayStation 5 will get released on November 20, 2020. While it would be fair to take this leak with a grain of salt, the Twitter user does have some credibility to his name after correctly predicting the release date for The Last of Us Part 2.
https://twitter.com/PSErebus/status/1196654395070582784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1196654395070582784&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.t3.com%2Fnews%2Fps5-price-and-release-date-leaked-along-with-possible-playstation-5-reveal-date
Other than the release date, he also revealed the pricing for the PS5. Apparently, the PlayStation 5 will be priced at $499 when it hits the stores. This figure is in line with the previous leaks we’ve received so far about Sony’s console.
Why is the release date and pricing so important?
The release date is an extremely important factor in determining the initial success of a console. The PlayStation 3 came out almost 11 months after the Xbox 360, losing a lot of early ground in the process. By the time it came out, most early console adopters had already bought the Xbox 360 and just weren’t ready to invest in another console.
According to former Sony exec Phil Harrison, who was involved with the PlayStation 3, a little component that only costed 0.05 cents was the reason for the delay. So, the margins were extremely fine when it came to success or failure for the PS3.
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By the time the PlayStation 4 came out, Sony had learned its lesson and launched the PS4 almost a week before the Xbox One. While there were other factors at play for the PS4’s eventual success, getting that release window right was definitely a priority for Sony.
Other than the release date, the price is arguably the most important factor in determining a console’s initial success. We’ve seen multiple examples of consoles losing the generational fight just because of their higher prices. This was the case for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox One, both of which were priced higher than their rival consoles.
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Initially, the cost of producing a single gaming console is much higher than the release price anyway. Most companies start selling their consoles at a loss with the consoles only becoming profitable after a few years when the components have gotten cheaper. So, getting that price point right will also be extremely important for Sony.
Currently, it seems like both Sony and Microsoft are opting for a safer option by pricing their consoles at $500. However, if either one of those manages to launch its console at a lower price than the competitor, things could get really spicy.
However, both Sony and Microsoft have had their fair share of bad launch decisions so the probability of them repeating their past pricing or release date blunders is pretty low.
When will Sony reveal the PS5?
2020 is going to be all about building up the PS5 hype for Sony. Last year, the company skipped E3 because going to the event without anything new to show just wasn’t viable enough. However, Sony did confirm that it will be making an appearance at this year’s E3 with a massive showcase. While E3 is the biggest gaming event of the year for new reveals, Sony will not be revealing the PlayStation 5 at the event.
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Instead of E3, Sony plans to hold a standalone event during the first quarter of 2020 for the PlayStation 5 reveal. The reveal event is rumored to be taking place in February. This has been done in the past for other console releases by both Sony and Microsoft. At the PS5 reveal event, Sony will unveil the new console, alongside the new Dualshock 5. Most of the event will revolve around the external and internal hardware of the console.
After the reveal event, E3 will take the center stage and that’s where all the other details and games for the PS5 will get revealed. Apart from the games, we’ve also gotten reports that Sony plans to reveal the pricing for the PS5 at E3 and not during the February event.
So, it looks like 2020 is all set to be a massive year for gaming. Can Sony keep its momentum from the PS4 going into the next-gen or will Microsoft bounce back with Scarlett? Let us know down in the comments below!