Sony plans PlayStation 5 unveiling for June 4, games and all

By Don Reisinger May 29, 2020

Sony announced it will hold its long-awaited PlayStation 5 unveiling event at 4 p.m. ET on June 4.

Sony’s invite says the company will discuss “the future of gaming” and will focus on some of the games that will be released alongside the PlayStation 5 later this year.

Recommended Videos

“The games coming to PS5 represent the best in the industry from innovative studios that span the globe,” Sony Interactive Entertainment chief Jim Ryan said in a blog post accompanying the announcement. He added that the stream will be just the first unveiling, and promised more updates in the coming weeks.

Sony’s event comes just weeks after Microsoft held its own virtual event, where it showcased some of the games coming to the Xbox Series X this holiday season. Sony has been slower than Microsoft to provide updates on its next-gen console but did showcase a controversial new DualSense controller design last month.

Still, Sony’s slow pace could suggest a build-up to this key event, Piers Harding-Rolls, the games research director of Ampere Analysis, suggests.

“I’m expecting this event to focus on areas where Sony is traditionally strong: games development expertise and, with what I hope will be the full reveal of the PS5, product design,” Harding-Rolls said in a statement. “We’re now well into the phase where console early adopters expect to know more about the games that will be available at launch, so this event and Microsoft’s upcoming streams are crucial to build consumer anticipation.”

However, he added that other details like the PS5’s price point still might have to wait.

“The COVID-19 crisis and the economic situation means that choosing when to confirm the pricing is more of a challenge, and, in the current climate, it probably makes sense to wait longer before the reveal,” Harding-Rolls added.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Don Reisinger is a freelance technology, video game, and entertainment journalist. He has been writing about the world of…

Gaming

PlayStation Portal 2: 8 features we want in Sony’s next-gen handheld

After the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita, there wasn't much hope that Sony would create another handheld system. Both consoles failed to establish themselves as meaningful parts of PlayStation's ecosystems despite having passionate fan bases. That's what made the initial reveal of the PlayStation Portal so surprising, at least until we knew exactly what it was. As an accessory, the PlayStation Portal is a decent device for some situations. It makes remote play easy and combines all the cool features of the DualSense controller with a great display. However, it does leave a lot to be desired for those hoping for a bit more from a new PlayStation device. Should Sony decide to iterate on this novel idea, there are a few features we think it needs to have to be a true success.

We're not going to ask Sony to completely overhaul what it established with the PlayStation Portal. For as much as we'd love for a fully dedicated handheld like a Vita 2, that's just too far beyond what we can hope for.
Wi-Fi 6

Gaming

PS5 Pro: news, rumored release date, price, and specs

Rumors are running rampant about a supposed PlayStation 5 Pro, or PS5 Pro for short. Just like we got a mid-generation upgrade with the PS4 Pro during the last console cycle, many people are expecting PlayStation to release an incrementally more powerful machine to bridge the gap between the launch unit and an eventual PlayStation 6. Leaks have been coming out from some fairly credible sources, with a lot of juicy and very specific details about what a hypothetical PS5 Pro could look like. As credible as these sources may be, we do still need to take everything we see with some skepticism until Sony officially confirms that this system even exists. Until then, here are all the rumors out there regarding the PS5 Pro.
Rumored release window

A constant release window that all leaks have pointed to is sometime in Fall of 2024. That's right around the corner, probably in the September through November range, meaning we should be getting an official announcement on the console if that is indeed the plan. It appears that PS5 Pro dev kits are now in the hands of more developers, who have been asked that PS5 Pro-enhanced games be submitted for certification in August. These developments point toward a 2024 release.

Gaming

I was a PlayStation Portal hater. Now it’s one of my go-to gaming devices

In November, I reviewed the PlayStation Portal. I was mixed on Sony’s streaming handheld at the time, frustrated with a corner-cutting execution of a good idea. It seemed like a poor value compared to simply slapping a cheaper Backbone controller on a phone. As is often the case with tech reviews, though, I only had a short window to test it out where I was more focused on the more objective side of what the Portal does and doesn’t do. Would my feelings change when I was using it naturally?

I’ve gotten the answer to that question over the past few months. While I barely touched my Portal after reviewing it in 2023, it’s quickly become a go-to device in my home as of January. I’m now breaking it out at least once a week, finding some practical use cases for it. Though my overall assessment of it hasn’t changed, I have a more tangible understanding of where it can be a useful -- if superfluous -- PS5 companion. It’s a needless luxury, but one that I’m finding that I'm happy to indulge in.
Second screen
The PlayStation Portal’s launch just so happened to come right before a major life change that would shift my perspective. After living alone for three years, my girlfriend moved into my apartment last December. It’s been a natural change that’s working great so far. That shift does come with some lifestyle changes, though. We’re both crammed into a one-bedroom apartment, which means we’re sharing a tight space. We remotely do our jobs feet apart in the same room, and most evenings are spent lounging on the couch.