Sony’s PS5 Showcase: How to watch, pricing and launch date expected

Sony’s told us nearly everything conceivable about its next-generation video game console, the PlayStation 5. We know its launch games lineup, including the highly anticipated superhero sequel Spider-Man: Miles Morales. We know know the devices have a futuristic vibe to them, with curved sides that could look right at home next to a Star Trek starship. We even know the controller has special trigger buttons that give us feedback to make the objects we interact with in the game world feel like they’re here, in our hands.

The only things we don’t know are what it costs and when it’ll hit store shelves.

Sony didn’t say much about the event when it tweeted the announcement early on Saturday with a video showing off the PS5’s design.

“It’s possible we also could get information on some things we really need to know before purchasing the console: the price and release date,” CNET sister site GameSpot wrote of the Tweet.

Whatever the price becomes, both Sony and Microsoft’s consoles mark a key moment for the video game industry, transitioning to new devices that promise faster chips and new features that can make games look all that much more complex or realistic.

Somehow, Sony and Microsoft have made it comically long into their preparations for their dueling next-generation video game consoles without telling us fundamentals like pricing and release date. At the beginning of the year, all we knew was that the devices would launch by the holiday shopping season.

The missing information became sort of an inside joke whenever I’d talk to Sony’s and Microsoft’s teams. I’d work the question in as often as I could, reminding them I have to ask and them acknowledging that of course I would. Even PlayStation head Jack Ryan and Xbox head Phil Spencer got the question. 

The lack of information became a meme within the game community too, where rumors sprouted that Microsoft and Sony were playing a game of chicken, seeing who’d blink first and announce their price at risk of the other adjusting their price to beat it. For what it’s worth, both companies repeatedly denied it.

But after a series of leaks about Microsoft’s entry-level Xbox Series S that’ll launch alongside its more powerful Xbox Series X, the company said they’d cost $299 and $499 and launch Nov. 10. They’ll also be available on a payment plan of $25 per month and $35 per month, including access to a bundle of the company’s gaming social network and other subscription services.

Sony hasn’t said it’ll announce its launch date and price at this event, but it’s a fair bet at this point.

Sony’s event will start on Wednesday Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. BST, and 6 a.m. on Sept. 17 AEST.

Where

Sony’s event will be streamed live on its website, PlayStation.com/PS5, and its accounts at Twitch.TV and YouTube. We’ll also have a livestream running here on CNET.

What we can expect

If we don’t get a price and launch date, expect a lot of confusion from excited fans.