A credible insider has alleged that PlayStation might have a State of Play presentation scheduled for late September. The last PlayStation State of Play aired at the very end of May 2024 and received rather lukewarm reactions from fans who waited a long time for some brand-new first-party announcements.

PlayStation usually reserves big first-party game reveals for its larger Showcase livestreams, but the inconsistent scheduling of these events makes them very difficult to pin down. For example, the 2023 PlayStation Showcase was held in May, there was no Showcase event in 2022 at all, and the 2021 Showcase was held in September. State of Plays, meanwhile, are a bit easier to predict since PlayStation holds three to four of them every year. However, State of Play livestreams rarely ever announce new PlayStation first-party games, and mostly focus on existing/announced first-party titles and third-party collaborations.

The announcement of Team Asobi's Astro Bot at the May 2024 State of Play was a welcome surprise, but PlayStation fans have long been requesting a full-fledged Showcase that pulls back the curtains on some tentpole PS5 first-party games for the next few years. It seems the highly-requested PlayStation Showcase may elude fans again, though, as reputable industry insider Jeff Grubb claimed in the newest episode of Game Mess Mornings that PlayStation is planning to air a State of Play at the "end of September." Grubb even emphasized that the event is "not a Showcase," likely to keep fan expectations in check.

Many PlayStation fans were banking on September for a potential 2024 Showcase after the somewhat lackluster May State of Play, so this rumor will likely disappoint them. In a more exciting development, though, Grubb reckoned that PlayStation could finally break its silence on the heavily rumored PS5 Pro at the purported September State of Play. The insider affirmed that according to his sources, the PS5 Pro is still on track to release later this year, and while he doesn't confidently know that the upgraded console will be featured in the September State of Play, he expressed doubt over where else it could be revealed.

Intriguingly, Sony will also attend Tokyo Game Show 2024 as a general exhibitor from September 26 to September 29, which falls right into Grubb's rumored timeline for a State of Play. The curious coincidence suggests that Sony may be planning on correlating the two events, with the State of Play's reveals possibly being featured further at Tokyo Game Show. For instance, the PS5 Pro could be formally announced during the State of Play and then demoed in real-time at PlayStation's Tokyo Game Show booth. It all might sound like wishful optimism right now, but hopefully the next few weeks will bring clearer answers.

Posted: Aug 30, 2024 11:32 pm
Related Forum: PlayStation Forum

Source: https://gamerant.com/playstation-state-of-play-september-not-showcase-rumor/