KEY POINTS

  • This Wednesday's PlayStation Showcase event will not just show what games are coming to the PS5 at launch, it is expected to reveal the console's price and release date as well
  • Following last week's announcement of the Xbox Series S and the specs and pricing of the Xbox Series X, it is expected that Sony will now respond in kind
  • The date when pre-orders for the PS5 will be opened up is also expected to be announced at the showcase

The PlayStation 5 Showcase scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 16, is expected to finally reveal what many have been waiting for from Sony, namely the console’s price and release date.

The 40-minute “digital showcase” set for 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT on Wednesday has been announced to include updates from first-party Sony game studios and third-party partners. Sony has also called the event “one more look at some of the great games coming to PS5 at launch (and beyond!)” before the console launches.

Following last week’s double revelation from Microsoft of the actual existence of the Xbox Series S and the pricing and specs of the Xbox Series X, it is expected that Sony will now respond in kind.

After all, Microsoft and Sony have been engaged in this little cat-and-mouse game of theirs for months now, waiting for the other to blink first.

The Verge reports that Microsoft was originally planning to announce its more affordable, digital-only Xbox Series S this coming week before the $299 price leaked to the public. The company then just revealed that console as well as its differences from the bigger, more powerful Xbox Series X through a series of videos and posts on the Xbox blog.

To date, Sony has not shared the date for official pre-orders for the PlayStation 5 despite opening up pre-registration for those pre-orders last month. All that Sony has confirmed thus far is a release of some time during the holiday season of 2020.

Given that Microsoft is opening up Xbox Series X pre-orders on Sept. 22, it looks more and more likely that Sony will reveal the price for the PS5. With the Xbox Series X priced at $499, some competitive next-gen pricing is expected from Sony.

Sony is going to have to name two prices when they do so as the PlayStation 5 will have both a traditional console with a disc drive and a disc-less digital edition as an option.

Aside from the expected date and price revelations, games that will be available at the same time as the console’s launch will more than likely be announced during the showcase.

PlayStation 5 console
Sony released this picture on June 11 of its upcoming PlayStation 5 console, without revealing pricing or a launch date. Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.