Update: Our Sony State of Play live blog is up and running, so stay tuned for all the latest PS5 news.
A new episode of Sony’s news-focused State of Play series is happening today, and you know what that means. We’re about to get another slew of new game announcements for the PS5 in addition t updates on third-party and indie-titles we saw in the PS5 showcase last June 2020.
Think of Sony’s State of Play event as the electronics giant’s version of the ever-popular Nintendo Direct, with updates for PlayStation owners on games still to come throughout 2021 and beyond.
- These are the best PS5 games
- PS5 restock updates: Where you can find your console
- Plus: PS5 restock — Biden launching investigation into component shortage
State of Play offers the best way to stay abreast of what’s about to pop up on the ever elusive PS5, and if you’re looking to catch all the news, you’ll want to free your schedule for a short period of time on Thursday (Feb. 25) and navigate to an official PlayStation stream.
From debut trailers to release dates and behind-the-scenes looks, the State of Play event will serve up the info that’s meant to color PS5 coverage for the next few months and inform us on what to expect around the corner. Here's everything you need to know about how to watch this week’s event.
PS5 State of Play event date
The PS5 State of Play event premieres on Thursday, February 25 at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. That’s later today, but don’t fret. If you’re not free then, you can always rewatch the show at another time thanks to Twitch VODs and archived YouTube video. Sony always keeps these videos available for viewing at your leisure, as well as individual trailers and reveals typically chopped up into separate videos.
According to SIE Content Communications senior director Sid Shuman on the official PlayStation blog, the show is expected to run for "30 minutes or so, give or take." State of Play is typically prerecorded, so there shouldn’t be any danger of it running over if you’re on a tight schedule.
How to watch the PS5 State of Play event online
You can view Sony's PS5-focused State of Play broadcast via the official PlayStation Twitch and YouTube channels. In the event there’s a lag with audio or video or an issue with buffering, you may want to open both streams to keep an eye on which one has the higher fidelity. These streams can be viewed anywhere you can access Twitch and YouTube apps.
What to expect from the PS5 State of Play event
This State of Play episode promises to deliver new game announcements and updates on games originally debuted during the June 2020 PS5 showcases. That could include games like Pragmata (which was recently delayed to 2022), Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Returnal, Deathloop, or several other titles we know have been in the pipeline for some time. There's also a slew of third-party and indie game updates on the way.
Sony has been notoriously quiet about the upcoming God of War sequel, tentatively titled God of War: Ragnarok. There's also Horizon Forbidden West, the follow-up to the well-received Horizon Zero Dawn. Most recently, Sony confirmed that additional titles, like Bend Studio’s Days Gone, will be headed to PC. It’s possible we’ll hear more about which former PlayStation exclusives are breaking off and heading to additional platforms as well.
The official PlayStation Blog confirmed that there are "updates and deep dives" for 10 games coming to both PS4 and PS5, so that will fill the entirety of the show. And this time around, viewers are cautioned not to expect PlayStation hardware or business-focused updates. It's all about the games in this episode.
It isn’t unusual for some larger announcements to drop during State of Play presentations, so it’s possible we could even see an update on Square Enix’s upcoming Final Fantasy XVI, a hotly-anticipated addition to the franchise. Anything can happen, so beyond what we’ve already been briefed on, it’s best to jump in and view with an open mind and tempered expectations.
