How to watch the major PlayStation 5 reveal presentation on March 18
Sony is showing the PS5 off to the public for the first time.
Sony will finally show off the specs for the PlayStation 5 on Wednesday, March 18 seemingly to counter Microsoft's Xbox Series X specs reveal earlier in the week. Unlike Microsoft, who just unveiled this information through multiple blog posts, Sony will show off the PS5 for the first time during a livestream.
Sony announced over social media Tuesday morning that "PS5 lead system architect Mark Cerny will provide a deep dive into PS5’s system architecture, and how it will shape the future of games," and the presentation will occur on the PlayStation Blog Wednesday.
Those anticipating the latest information on PS5 likely what to know where and when they can watch the event as well as what will be shown off. We have rounded up that information so you know where to go on March 18.
What time is the PS5 reveal?
Sony's PS5 reveal teaser confirmed that the presentation will begin at 12 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, March 18. Barring any technical difficulties, Sony will start going over its new console right at noon. If this event follows in the footsteps of Sony's previous console reveal events, it could last up to two or three hours. That being said, if it's a cut and dry rundown of the system's features it may wind up being much shorter.
How to watch the PS5 reveal
Sony wrote in the official announcement that people should tune in via the PlayStation Blog rather than the company's YouTube channel but since then has scheduled a YouTube livesteam called "The Road to PS5" just for the event. (That video is embedded above.) This could indicate that the livestream might be on some kind of proprietary video format, but it now seems like the stream will be viewable in several places. We do know, however, that the event will be broadcast solely in digital formats and in the English language.
Regardless, those interested should visit the official PlayStation Blog if they want to learn more about PS5.
What will the PS5 livestream cover?
"PS5 lead system architect Mark Cerny will provide a deep dive into PS5’s system architecture, and how it will shape the future of games," Sony's official description for the event reads. This is a fairly vague statement that could encompass all sorts of things, but it does sound like the presentation will focus on internal specs. Like the Xbox Wire posts, this presentation will focus on the technical specifications of Sony's new console, like the specs for its GPU and CPU as well as its oft-rumored SSD. Cerny will likely go over what this technology will let developers do, highlighting its teraflops and visual features like ray tracing.
The event could even touch on important things like release date or price, though these things are less likely. When it comes to games, a surprise announcement or two could be snuck in there, but that remains to be seen. Other features like the extent of backward compatibility do seem pretty likely, however.
We are more likely to see tech demos with previously released games. Microsoft has already done this for Xbox Series X with the likes of Minecraft, Gears 5, and State of Decay 2, while Sony has reportedly also done with behind closed doors already with Marvel's Spider-Man. Don't be surprised to see PS4 first-party titles like Marvel's Spider-Man, God of War, or Days Gone running on PS5 tomorrow rather than brand new games. If you want a more general idea of how the event may be structured, watch the 2016 reveal of the PS4 Pro:
PS5 should be released in late 2020.
