PS5 has long been rumoured to have a February reveal. The leaks and rumours first pointed to it being on February 5. Then, when that came and went, it was due to be February 12. Now, the latest rumour is an unveiling in Sony Hall, NYC, on Saturday February 29. But the date is fast approaching, and from the outset, it's looking extremely unlikely that the console will be revealed this month at all.
- UPDATE: What gamers want from PS5 and Xbox Series X
- Check out the already revealed Xbox Series X...
- ...and the rumoured Nintendo Switch Pro
However, perhaps we're calling it too early. In a Sony Corporations financial earnings call with investors, CFO Hiroki Totoki clarified some small details on the PS5's release schedule. When one investor asked for clarification in regard to the PS5 pricing, Totoki said the following:
"It's very difficult to really discuss this timing-wise, but as of today, we will provide the guidance at a time period, which is comparable to the past. So we will not change the time schedule."
The phrase "comparable to the past" is interesting. The PS4 was revealed at an on-stage event in New York, held on February 20, 2013 (watch below for a little slice of history). It was released towards the end of that year. If PS5 is following a "comparable" timeline, surely we'll be getting a reveal before too long?
We know that Sony will not be at E3, the world's biggest gaming expo, preferring to hold its own event. As the Xbox Series X has already been revealed, it's only a matter of time before Sony unveils the new console, but we have simply no inkling as to when this might happen. The February 29 rumour is implausible for a few reasons – among them is that it's a Saturday, and a PS5 reveal will mean all hands on deck for journalists and PRs.
On the other hand, perhaps Totoki misspoke, as the guidance to investors will follow a comparable timeline while the actual reveal will be delayed until spring or summer. Totoki also acknowledged the lack of a concrete price point for the console:
"It's very difficult to discuss anything about the price at this point of time... it's a question of balance and because it's a balancing act, it's very difficult to say anything concrete at this point of time.
"But when I said smooth transition, we mean that we will definitely choose the optimal approach and that we would try to have the best balance so that will be profitable in the life -- during the life of this product."
It sounds as though the PS5 will be priced with the life of the product in mind: not too highly to scare buyers away, but high enough that it can come down over the console's lifetime and still remain profitable. Where that sweet spot is, we don't know, but we could hazard a guess at around £499-£550.
Totoki's cryptic words might assuage the concerns of investors, but they do little to quell the demands of fans who desperately want any scrap of information relating to the PS5. If a February reveal is on the cards, time is running out.
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