Sony’s PlayStation 5 event is on Thursday. Here’s what to expect
In the past, Sony has sought to differentiate itself from its chief competitors, Microsoft and Nintendo, by securing games exclusive to its platform. Thursday’s event will give gamers a sense of both the exclusive and non-exclusive titles they’ll be able to play on the new system.
“While we understand gamers worldwide are excited to see PS5 games,” Sony said, “we want to stand back and allow more important voices to be heard.”
Analysts and gamers don’t expect the Thursday announcement to reveal how much the PlayStation 5 console costs, and they are doubtful Sony will unveil what the console looks like. Sony declined to share further event details.
“I think we will get confirmation of what has already been widely heard to be in the pipeline,” said David Cole, founder and CEO of research firm DFC Intelligence. He pointed to new games in the “The Last of Us” and “God of War” franchises, both exclusive to PlayStation, as examples of potential reveals at Thursday’s event. There are likely to be some trailers of games that have already been announced for PS5 and Xbox Series X, Microsoft’s next generation console, such as “Cyberpunk 2077” and “Watch Dogs: Legion.”
Fadel Ragheb, a 23-year-old gamer, streamer and podcaster in Montreal, anticipates titles like “Horizon Zero Dawn 2,” “Resident Evil 8,” perhaps updates to the “Call of Duty” and “Metal Gear” franchises and a few other surprises.
“They’ve been quiet for so long, and if the PS5 is launching this holiday, they’ve gotta start marketing!” Ragheb told CNN Business.
The stay-at-home orders due to the ongoing pandemic could also whet the appetites for games, experts say.
“These past couple of months people have spent in their home surely might have increased the desire to discover new games,” said Carolina Milanesi, a tech analyst at research firm Creative Strategies. “Titles [have] also been a strong differentiator for them versus Xbox, so it might be a good time to lean into this point.”
“With a next generation of console gaming on the horizon, Sony will look to showcase titles that take advantage of PS5 features. Sony will need to prove that ray tracing, 3D audio and the new SSD will provide a true next-gen experience for consumers,” said Daniel Ahmad, a senior analyst at Niko Partners who covers the Asian video games market.
At the same time, the event could always hold surprises.
“This is the first online-only gaming launch [for the company], so I am sure there is some uncharted territory for Sony,” said Milanesi.