Add GDC 2020 to the list of events where we certainly won't see the PS5. Just a day after withdrawing from PAX East 2020 due to coronavirus concerns, Sony has officially pulled out of this years Game Developers Conference, alongside Facebook and its Oculus VR brand.
In a statement to Gamesindustry.biz, Sony wrote "We have made the difficult decision to cancel our participation in Game Developers Conference due to increasing concerns related to COVID-19 (also known as coronavirus)."
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On the same day, Oculus' director of content ecosystem Chris Pruett announced in a blog post that Facebook's AR/VR and gaming teams will not be attending GDC 2020, also citing coronavirus concerns.
"We still plan to share the exciting announcements we had planned for the show, but in a digital format with videos, online Q&As, and more," wrote Pruett, noting that Oculus fans should look forward to new news via livestreams.
GDC and PAX East are the latest events in a string of major trade shows that have been affected by the Wuhan coronavirus, which has caused more than 2,100 deaths across the globe according to CNN. Even Mobile World Congress, the world's biggest phone show, was cancelled this month after a slew of major vendors —including Sony — pulled out due to safety concerns.
With Sony having no presence at GDC or PAX East, speculation continues to churn around when the company might have a PS5 launch event. While several rumored February dates never came to fruition, Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki recently said in an earnings call that Sony's reveal strategy will be "comparable to the past."
