Traditionally, Sony and Microsoft presented their consoles on time for the E3 in Los Angeles in June. But this year the gaming fair will be canceled due to COVID-19. But what happens to the announcements and launches around video games and the associated hardware that would otherwise have taken place during the trade fair week?
Advancing the PS5?
The well-informed gaming industry analyst Daniel Ahmad writes on Twitter that many presentations and announcements from the week in which the E3 took place are now planned at different times – some much earlier and others much later. According to Ahmad “the first real next-generation console / game presentation is also much earlier”. This indicates that a big announcement could be expected in May.
Ahmad, however, leaves open exactly what is meant by this. It could be the unveiling of the PlayStation 5 – or just the presentation of games by Sony or Xbox Games Studios. In addition, this early launch date can change at any time. In an additional tweet, Ahmad admits that last-minute shifts are possible due to COVID-19. A rare statement because the analyst is usually completely sure of his information.
The information about the interior of the PlayStation 5 and details about the new DualSense controller have already been confirmed. You can find the corresponding articles here:
Technical details: Sony reveals technical features of the console
DualSense controller: Official pictures! The new PS5 controller can do that
New price forecasts
Almost at the same time, new information about the starting price of the PlayStation 5 became known. The market research company “Ampere Analysis” has published a report that deals with the influence of COVID-19 on the gaming industry. The company continues to see the launch date of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X in November unless the launch is “not delayed by bottlenecks in the parts supply chain or game development”.
Ampere Analysis expects the consoles to range in price from $ 450 to $ 499. This prediction roughly coincides with the numbers from a Bloomberg report, reported about the TECHBOOK in February. However, the company believes that a recession will significantly affect console sales, especially in 2021. Most new games in the next 18 months will still be compatible with the older generation of consoles. Coupled with the economic downturn, it could mean that many gamers who would otherwise have bought a new console will have to wait even longer.
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