Price
PS5 Showcase Predictions
Obvious PS5 Showcase prediction is obvious. Given that Microsoft officially announced the price and release date of its two next-gen consoles — the Xbox Series X and Series S — last week, it’s clear that Sony was waiting for their big competitors to pull the trigger before they did the same.
Exactly what those price tags are on the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition remain to be seen, but that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate. Given the PS5’s competing directly with the Xbox Series X, $499 seems like a sensible guess.
As for the Digital Edition which, as far as we know, the only difference is the lack of a disc drive on the system compared to the normal PS5, we’d put a little lower.
I wouldn’t expect it to be in the same ball park as the Xbox Series S, given that’s not quite as powerful as both PS5 SKUs, but $349 could be what Sony attempts to aim for with its cheaper console.
Regardless of what the prices come out at during the PS5 showcase, you can bet your bottom dollar they’ll be announced this week.
Release Date
PS5 Showcase Predictions
To continue its retort to Microsoft, Sony’s most likely going to announce when players can get their hands on their very own PS5 during the Showcase event, too.
With the Xbox Series X and S both releasing on Nov. 10 of this year, I’d be very surprised if the PS5 falls much farther than two weeks either side of this.
Sony will want to make the most of the Thanksgiving and Black Friday holiday chaos this year to help bolster software, hardware and accessories sales for its next-gen systems. The only way to do so, obviously, is to release a week or two prior, which would put it smack bang next to the Xbox Series S and X.
If I were the betting type — and I 100% am — I’d be looking at placing some money for a PS5 release date in the week that follows the Xbox Series X and S. That means any time from Nov. 16 – Nov. 20.
Major First-Party Game Reveal
PS5 Showcase Predictions
We’ve seen what Sony has lined up for the early days of the PS5’s life-cycle, but what about beyond? What are all of those pedigree, first-party Sony studios up to that haven’t yet announced anything? In particular, Sony Santa Monica.
Given the overwhelmingly positive reception to 2018’s God of War, there’s a good chance a sequel is on the way that’ll see Kratos or Atreus back on our screens for another epic adventure.
Having just a quick snippet of either or both of the father-son duo would be just the thing to remind fans what they’re investment is going to get them in the long run. A reminder of the fantastic catalog of games only available on PlayStation.
The stable of first-party developers at Sony is vast, and exactly what else could accompany a major reveal like God of War is another exciting prospect to keep in mind. No matter how far off the projects might be.
Launch Line-Up Confirmation
PS5 Showcase Predictions
With this potential for the shifting of release dates further into 2021, I also expect Sony to come out and clarify exactly what’s releasing when during those first few months.
This will be a combination of both first and third-party titles, with the likes of EA, Activision and Ubisoft all set to bring their latest and greatest titles to the system on day-one.
Thankfully, the likes of Call of Duty, EA’s sports titles, Assassin’s Creed and Watch Dogs will likely take up plenty of your time during these opening months, meaning the slow and steady trickle of content should be quite as agonizing as you may be worried it could be.
More Gameplay Footage
PS5 Showcase Predictions
What’s information if there’s nothing pretty to look at while you’re taking it all in? When it comes to a showcase livestream for a next-generation console, there’s only one thing that fans want to see, and that’s gameplay.
Yes, yes, the release date and price are cool, but seeing just how big of a step the PS5 will bring to our gameplay experiences will be the most exciting part of it all. Especially considering these aren’t likely to be cheap systems.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Spider-Man: Miles Morales and everyone’s favorite weird and wonderful game, Bugsnax would be my top picks for gameplay, but expect plenty more to join them.
What are you expecting from the PS5 Showcase livestream? Let us know down in the comments below.
Published: Sep 14, 2020 05:32 am