Pretty much everyone in the gaming world initially predicted that huge reveals regarding the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, including possibly official release dates, would be announced at E3. However, the large-scale gaming event was canceled due to concerns regarding the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Also, the event’s organizers recently announced that they would not be holding an online alternative during the days initially scheduled for E3.
What does this mean for the big news about the next-generation consoles? According to noted games industry analyst Daniel Ahmad (aka @ZhugeEx on Twitter), it is very likely that the announcements will no longer be occurring during June 9-11 when E3 was initially being held.
With E3 cancelled, a lot of the planned reveals / announcements have been moved out of that single week.
Some are now much earlier, others much later. Some still during E3 week ofc.
The first proper next gen console/games showcase is much earlier too.
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) April 19, 2020
“Some are now much earlier, others much later,” said Ahmad. He theorizes that at least one reveal might happen in May, based on the publication of Sony’s earning reports and a rumored decrease in the production of Xbox One units.
However, Ahmad adds a caveat to his tweets that, due to the volatility of the COVID-19 situation, this information may not be accurate. “This is the one time where external factors such as COVID-19 could change plans right at the last minute,” Ahmad explained.
It should also be kept in mind that Ahmad does not want his speculations to be interpreted as fact. He expressed annoyance that some news outlets were taking his words to mean that the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X releases were imminent.
Me: Words tweets a specific way so they are not misinterpreted and cannot be spun in a certain way.
News outlets: This dude just tweeted about how the PS5 launches tomorrow.
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) April 20, 2020
With notable titles such as The Last of Us 2 delayed indefinitely, with others such as Cyberpunk 2077 pushed back to fall or even winter releases, it’s still too early to say what might be in the future for the next generation of consoles. However, what this could mean is that we’ve got a very exciting summer ahead of us, as reveals are spread out rather than being “clustered” during E3’s original dates.
