Sony to launch State of Play videos for PlayStation 4, PlayStation VR

By Aaron Mamiit Published March 24, 2019

Sony is set to launch State of Play, a new video program that will feature updates and announcements for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR.

The first episode, which will be released on March 25 at 2:00 pm PT, will showcase new PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR titles, including new trailers, game announcements, and gameplay footage, according to a post on the official PlayStation Blog.

Recommended Videos

The new program is being compared to Nintendo Direct and Inside Xbox, which Nintendo and Microsoft use for similar purposes. Sony is not explicitly saying that State of Play is a live show, which may mean that it will be a pre-recorded video like Nintendo Direct presentations, and not an actual live stream like Inside Xbox episodes.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Some of the PlayStation 4 games that are expected to be part of the first State of Play include Death Stranding, The Last of Us Part II, Ghost of Tsushima, and Days Gone.

Given the focus on software on the official blog post, it does not look like Sony will be teasing the PlayStation 5 in the first episode of State of Play, through there is a possibility that the company will use the program to reveal its next-generation console in the future. However, with Google Stadia looming as a threat, Sony might try to pull something off sooner than expected.

PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR owners who are interested in watching the first-ever State of Play may stream it on the official PlayStation channels on Twitch and YouTube, or through the official PlayStation accounts on Twitter and Facebook. After the episode, it will be uploaded to these platforms for those who would not be able to watch it live.

Sony is skipping E3 2019, which means that the PlayStation will not have a presence at the annual video game event for the first time ever. Nintendo and Microsoft will look to take advantage of this, but Sony will likely release another State of Play around the time of E3 2019 to keep in step with the major announcements of its rivals.

The overall format and tone of State of Play is currently unclear, but fortunately, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR fans will not have to wait a long time to find out.

Topics

Contributor

Aaron received an NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was four years old, and he has been fascinated…

Gaming

How Astro Bot charmed its way to becoming our Game of the Year

Game of the Year: Astro Bot

The process of picking one “game of the year” is a journey marked by second-guessing. Not a December goes by at Digital Trends where we aren’t agonizing over our annual top 10 list. Do we actually love Baldur’s Gate 3 as much as we think or are we giving in to the pressures of critical consensus? Is Elden Ring a lame year-end pick when we could be celebrating something like Immortality that still sticks with us years later? Are we weighing independent games enough in our deliberations? These are the kind of questions that keep us up at night as winter begins.

This year, we were faced with a similar mental puzzle. After 12 months of obsessively tracking our GOTY front-runners in detailed spreadsheets, one game was left standing: Astro Bot. The delightful platformer had won our hearts thanks to its precise platforming, good-natured attitude, and toylike design. It seemed like a no-brainer, but it was still hard to combat that lingering doubt as one question still haunted us.

Gaming

Why I kept coming back to Final Fantasy XIV in 2024

A character sits on a "fatter cat" mount

The MMO genre is overflowing with titles vying for the attention of anyone willing to invest significant portions of their time in a single game. There are no doubt plenty of killer choices you can make based on what type of combat, endgame, and payment model you prefer, ensuring that you'll almost certainly find one that fits you just right. I've been investing off and on in the genre for over two decades, with thousands of hours poured into everything from old, niche titles like Silkroad Online (which I just learned somehow still exists) to worldwide successes like World of Warcraft and Guild Wars.

In recent years, though, I find myself disappointed in various aspects of many popular MMOs, whether it's an overwhelming focus on endgame raiding, too much PVP-centric content, or unfriendly communities that make me cringe when I even glance at the chat. None of that is a problem when I return to Final Fantasy XIV. I somehow feel at peace each time I load up Square Enix's long-running MMO, and it's becoming harder and harder for me to want to venture elsewhere.

Gaming

Sly Cooper, Jak and Daxter added to PS Plus as part of 30th anniversary

Jak and Daxter smirk at one another.

PlayStation Plus Premium is getting some new games for its Classics catalog for December, and as it's nearly time for the official PlayStation 30th anniversary, it's set to be big.

PlayStation announced the special additions to PlayStation Plus for December on Wednesday that includes three classic games: Sly 2: Band of Thieves, Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves, and Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. The company also stated in the announcement blog post that they'll have "more news on the full PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and Premium lineups later," which seems to indicate there will be even more games coming to the service.