The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the cancellation of most major industry events, but all the big publishers are vowing to carry on with their own digital events. Of course, the publishers gamers really want to hear from are Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, particularly considering the first two will be releasing the PS5 and Xbox Series X this year. Well, VentureBeat’s usually-reliable Jeff Grubb has been busily sewing rumors about the upcoming slate of digital events, and today he shared some new information he’s heard about the three big console makers’ plans.
Word is, Sony is planning two big events for this summer – one in early June that we’ve already heard about from various sources, and another in August. Grubb originally singled out June 4 as the date for the earlier event, but apparently Sony is “moving it around” even if the early-June timeframe hasn’t changed. Both the June and August events will showcase a combination of first-party and third-party next-gen games. As for when we’ll be granted a look at the actual PlayStation 5 hardware, Grubb says we’ll likely have seen it by the time the August event rolls around, indicating the June event may be the big unveiling. For those who may have missed it, I ran down my hopes for the June PS5 event last week – check out the article and discuss if you have a minute!
As for Microsoft, we know they’re going to be revealing new Xbox Series X info monthly as part of the Xbox 20/20 program. They’ve promised to show first-party Xbox Series X games in July, but per Grubb, we’ll likely get a closer look at the hardware next month – possible on June 9 or June 10.
And finally, perhaps the most ellusive of them all – Nintendo. As reported earlier, Nintendo likely won’t be holding their traditional E3-season Nintendo Direct in June. Apparently, as of now, there are no firm plans for a makeup Nintendo Direct, and a lot of Switch games may simply be surprise announced like Paper Mario: The Origami King was last week.
On the subject of third parties, we already know about events like EA Play Live and Ubisoft Forward, but word is Blizzard and Riot Games are also planning some sort of summer events. Of course, take all this with a grain of salt – even if Grubb’s info is completely legit, COVID-19 could throw a wrench into all these well-laid plans. We shall see how this all pans out.
What summer games reveal event are you most looking forward to? When will we finally see the PS5? Will the Xbox Series X first-party showcase live up to the hype? Sound off below!
