The PlayStation 5 reveal event is just weeks away according to rumours that have since been confirmed by industry insiders. It's set to take place in February 2020 at a PlayStation event in New York City, but the exact date and venue haven't been announced just yet. The most recent rumours point to a date of February 5 and names the venue as Sony Hall, NYC, although no headline events had been booked at the building at the time of the speculation. But now it seems that a later date could be on the cards.
According to a recent Reddit thread the actual date could be a little later than initially thought, slated for February 29 rather than February 5. This is based on a listing for a closed private event that's booked at the venue on that date kicking off at 7pm.
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At first glance this seems to make sense; Sony Square, the brand's NYC flagship store, is currently running an event called "Experience PlayStation" - a month-long celebration event that will wrap up on February 16. A console reveal at or near the end of the event would make sense, and of course, so does the venue - it's in line with everything we've heard so far.
What's more, the PS4 was unveiled in back in 2013 on February 20, at an event called "PlayStation Meeting" so a similar window for the PS5 lends a little more credence to a date later in the month. Additionally, media invites haven't been sent out yet, and February 5 is fast approaching. Logistically, getting press invites and travel arrangements sorted out in such a small amount of time could be nightmare - although not impossible - so the end of the month makes a tad more sense from a practical point of view too. But there are a few glaring details that could shoot down this theory.
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The first potential sign that something is amiss is the venue itself. Sony Hall can accommodate between 500 and 1,000 people, based on having attendees seated or standing. There are a lot of games journalists out there and given the importance of the event, Sony is going to want to make a big deal out of the launch. We can expect to see industry leaders, shareholders, developers, and Sony staff amongst invitees, as well as the media. Unless it plans on having guests spilling out into the corridors, it's very doubtful that a room that size is going to be big enough for such a milestone event.
Another reason to remain sceptical is the date itself; February 29 falls on a Saturday. Aside from the fact that no one wants to spend their Saturday night working, expecting media outlets across the globe to churn out coverage late in the evening or the following Sunday is unrealistic. Losing a day's momentum while everyone carries on with their weekend isn't exactly an ideal marketing strategy.
And lastly, just because a private event is booked for the venue, we shouldn't jump to the conclusion that this is Sony using its venue for the reveal. The PS4 unveiling took place at the Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center - which, incidentally, is a 12,000-square-foot room that can hold several thousand people.
Looking more closely at the rumoured date and venue, it seems somewhat unlikely that these are the final details for the PS5 reveal. We do know it's just a few weeks away, but we should take this latest speculation with a hefty handful of salt.
While we wait for Sony's next-gen console to make an appearance, you can keep up with the latest news and rumours here at T3.
