Sony postpones PlayStation 5 event due to on-going protests in the US

Sony has postponed its June 4 PlayStation 5 (PS5) reveal event due to the anti-racism protests taking place in the United States. Sony did not state when it plans to reschedule the event.

The makers of PlayStation made the following announcement: “While we understand gamers worldwide are excited to see PS5 games, we do not feel that right now is a time for celebration and for now, we want to stand back and allow more important voices to be heard.”

Protests have erupted across the US over the death of 46-year-old George Floyd, an unarmed African American man, at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Before these current events, many of gaming’s biggest events were cancelled due to the on-going Covid-19 pandemic. Sony’s standalone event was its opportunity to drum up interest in the PS5.

The event was set to give die-hard PlayStation fans a sneak peak at the launch titles games for the console. Sony has already revealed the specifications of the PS5, its logo and new DualSense wireless controller.

Sony’s stand on the matter is very much in line with many technology companies from Apple, Google, Twitter, Amazon and Microsoft. But Sony’s announcement received mixed reactions by its fans. Some praised Sony’s actions to delay the PS5 announcement out of respect for the current situation. Others were more cynical about how genuine the company was as nothing more than a calculated business decision.

There is little doubt that Sony will launch the PS5 by the end of the year given its 2020 annual financial report.

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