PlayStation April State of Play stream: How to watch and what to expect

By Joseph Yaden April 27, 2021

Continuing with its digital format, Sony is airing yet another PlayStation State of Play stream this week. Sony first utilized the State of Play digital format prior to the release of the PS5 and has done so ever since, giving its audience snappy videos that showcase the future of PlayStation. Here’s everything to know about the upcoming digital event, including its showtime, where to watch, and what to expect.

Contents

When is the PlayStation State of Play stream?
Where can I watch the PlayStation State of Play stream?
What will be shown during the State of Play?
What won’t be shown at the State of Play?

When is the PlayStation State of Play stream?

This week’s PlayStation State of Play will air at 2 p.m. PT (5 p.m. ET) on Thursday, April 29. This is on par with what Sony has done in the past, as its State of Play events usually air on a weekday afternoon. It’s expected to last at least 15 minutes.

Where can I watch the PlayStation State of Play stream?

State of Play | April 29, 2021

The upcoming State of Play will air across the PlayStation YouTube channel as well as on Twitch. Both will feature identical streams, so viewers can choose either platform to enjoy the show.

What will be shown during the State of Play?

We know for a fact that the State of Play will focus on the upcoming Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, which is coming to PS5 on June 11. According to Sony, the State of Play will feature 15 minutes of Rift Apart gameplay, focusing on the new Lombax character named Rivet. Sony also revealed that “a pair of upcoming indie titles” will make an appearance, though it’s unknown what they will be.

Introducing Rivet!

See the mysterious Lombax in action in today’s Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart trailer, then tune in to State of Play on Thursday at 2pm PT for extended gameplay from @insomniacgames – plus updates on a pair of upcoming indie titles: https://t.co/f0IEfDx3c6 pic.twitter.com/mASOmXl4H2

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) April 26, 2021

What won’t be shown at the State of Play?

Since the focus will be on Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and a couple of indies, the community shouldn’t expect to see any of Sony’s major AAA titles, like the upcoming God of War sequel, Horizon: Forbidden West, or Gran Turismo. Sony has kept expectations in check by letting us know exactly what will be shown during the State of Play.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Joseph Yaden is a freelance journalist who covers Nintendo, shooters, and horror games. He mostly covers game guides for…

Gaming

PlayStation 5 Slim: All rumors and speculation

A PS5 stands on a table.

It's at around this point in a console's life cycle that companies like to release a new, slim model to reinvigorate sales, cut costs, and experiment with a new design. Sony has been trimming down its home consoles since the PS2, with each home console getting a slimmer, sometimes cheaper replacement a few years after launch. We're closing in on the PlayStation 5's third birthday and rumors abound about both a PS5 Pro and a PS5 Slim model, and yet Sony's remained tight-lipped about any iterations on the base unit. Still, some of these rumors and potential leaks may hold some weight and are fun to follow regardless to see how accurate they end up being.
Will there be a PS5 Slim? Here's what we know
Before getting into the rumors and leaks, know that until Sony itself confirms the existence of a PS5 Slim, everything that follows is speculative and should be taken as such.

The first rumors of a new PS5 model centered around a diskless version that could be paired with a detachable disk drive you could buy separately in another step away from physical media. This was speculated to be coming out sometime in fall 2023, but has been rolled into the idea of the PS5 Slim. This potentially imminent release date also lines up with statements Microsoft made about a new PS5 Slim releasing this year for $400 during the Federal Trace Commission (FTC) hearing.

Gaming

Xbox Games Showcase can succeed where the PlayStation Showcase struggled

Senua stares ahead wearing war paint.

If there’s one video game presentation happening over the next week that has the most to prove, it’s the Xbox Games Showcase. Despite a strong start to the year with Hi-Fi Rush and a solid Developer Direct showcase, Microsoft’s gaming branch has floundered in recent months because of struggles with its acquisition of Activision Blizzard and the rocky launch of Redfall. With the Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct Double Feature, Microsoft must reconfirm its commitment to gaming and to releasing high-quality first-party exclusives.

That said, Xbox is in an excellent position to do just that because of Sony’s underwhelming May showcase. As the first major gaming presentation of the summer, Sony had the chance to “win” the whole game reveal season early with its PlayStation Showcase. Ultimately, that live stream proved disappointing because of its focus on CGI reveal trailers and live service games.

Gaming

PlayStation Showcase teased Sony’s live service future, but I’m not impressed yet

playstation showcase live service games reveals marathon

Ahead of the May 2023 PlayStation Showcase, I wrote that the presentation needed to “elicit confidence in Sony’s future with live service.” Well, multiplayer-focused live service games did end up being a big part of the show, but I can’t say I’m that confident in them yet.
Between neat looks at single-player exclusives like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Synapse, Sony revealed four live-service games that it's publishing. Those games are Haven Studios’ Fairgame$, Arrowhead Studios’ Helldivers 2, Bungie’s Marathon, and Firewalk Studios’ Concord. The fact that these accounted for almost every major first-party announcements of the show signals that we’re entering a new era for Sony: one where multiplayer rules.
Over the past year or so, PlayStation Studios has made it very clear that it’s trying to break into the games-as-a-service sector now that it’s perfected the single-player adventure with games like Horizon Forbidden West and God of War: Ragnarok. Unfortunately, these early live service announcements raised more concerns than hope, which isn’t a great start when it comes to establishing a new direction for PlayStation.
A live service showcase
Haven’s sci-fi PvPvE heist game Fairgame$ was the PlayStation Showcase’s opening, and honestly, it wasn’t a memorable first showing. The trailer was purely cinematic, but its shots were composed like they were live gameplay. That still feels misleading 18 years after Sony did it with Killzone 2, even if it clarified it at the start of the trailer. It also means I don’t have a good idea of how this game will be structured and when I’ll have a chance to play it. All I know is that this is an anti-capitalist game that will probably also be a heavily monetized live service experience. It wasn’t a strong show opener; at least, like all of the other titles on this list, it’s also coming to PC.

Fairgame$ was followed up by the long-awaited reveal of Helldivers 2, a sequel to an entertaining 2015 PS Plus sci-fi top-down shooter. To Helldivers 2’s credit, it had the most honest-feeling showing of these games, with a trailer that showed lots of impressive third-person action gameplay and even gave a 2023 release window. Even if its anti-capitalist undertones were a bit similar to Fairgame$, this was the style of reveal I was hoping to see from Sony’s live service announcements. Unfortunately, it was the only live service game reveal to feature any actual gameplay.
After a break from live service announcements, Bungie emerged to reveal that it was reviving Marathon as a sci-fi PvP extraction shooter. While it’s very surprising to see Marathon coming back and that Bungie is making something other than Destiny, it was a purely cinematic trailer that leaned into its techno-futuristic aesthetics -- much like Fairgame$’s reveal trailer. A dev diary released after the reveal also says that we’ll need to wait a while to learn more and see gameplay. But you can buy a $77 shirt based on this game we don’t know much about yet, though.