Rumors have been swirling about Sony PlayStation 5's preorder and release dates, as well as pricing.
Our mission to help you navigate the new normal is fueled by subscribers. To enjoy unlimited access to our journalism, subscribe today.Gamers are expectantly awaiting details about PlayStation 5, the upcoming generation of Sony’s popular video game console.
In the absence of official notice from Sony, the online rumor mill has been grinding away about the price, preorder date, and exact release date. One piece of gossip even suggested the much-sought-after information might be revealed as early as this week.
Roberto Serrano, a business analyst at DXC Technology, a spinout of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, suggested on Twitter that the PlayStation announcements would arrive “around” 12:30 p.m. PT on Monday. He claimed that “sources inside the entertainment industry” tipped him off about the timing.
The hour came and passed and no new details emerged. Serrano and Sony did not immediately reply to Fortune’s requests for comment.
Since then people—and gaming blogs—have been circulating a PS5 product page on Amazon, apparently believing it to be new. The page first appeared in June and has not changed from the original, which a web archive search confirms.
The PS5 is expected to be available by year’s end. Sony said in a March financial statement that the console’s release date is “scheduled for the 2020 holiday season,” despite the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Aside from providing the vague “holiday” time frame, Sony has not specified an official release date for the PS5. (If past years are any indication, the PS5’s release date will likely come in November.) The preorder date remains a mystery as well.
People have reason to be eager to place preorders. Sony is expected to release a more limited supply of the gaming consoles than it has in years past, a situation that could cause a sales bottleneck, Bloomberg reported earlier this year.
Rival console-makers have already been struggling to meet demand. COVID-related interference in component part production and shipments, plus increased interest in video games from people sheltering at home, have caused Nintendo Switch inventory shortages.
Anyone wishing to keep track of preorder announcements and other information can visit product pages or sign up for mailing lists hosted by retailers such as Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart, Sony PlayStation site, Target, Amazon (U.K.), and GAME (U.K.).
When it debuts, Sony’s PlayStation will be competing with Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox Series X console. The two tech companies are poised to duke it out during the holiday shopping season, a crucial bonanza for sales.
It’s unclear how much Sony will be charging for the PlayStation 5, though people generally expect it to be around the $500 price point.
Last month Amazon U.K. accidentally published a product page for the PS5 featuring a price tag of £599.99, or about $765. An Amazon spokesperson said the listing, widely considered too steep to be real, was “an error.”
Sony may be waiting for Microsoft to announce the price tag of the Xbox before deciding on its own. The rivalry could force Sony to sell its system for cheaper than what it cost to make, analysts told Fortune.
Microsoft has an Xbox event planned for July 23, where it’s expected to reveal details about upcoming games including Halo Infinite, the latest installment of Microsoft’s popular space combat franchise.
— Xbox (@Xbox) July 6, 2020
Xbox Games Showcase
July 23rd
9am PT@SummerGameFest Pre-Show at 8am PT with @GeoffKeighley on @YouTubeGaming#XboxGamesShowcase pic.twitter.com/zGr5AnFwic
Last month Sony released details about some of its own upcoming PS5 games, including Spider-Man, Assassin’s Creed, and Far Cry 6.
