PS5 won't launch before mid-2020

Sony has now confirmed the existence of the PS5, but there are still few details about when we might expect it to hit shelves. However, a recent earnings call may have revealed a vague window for the PS5's release.

Tech reporter Takahishi Mochizuki revealed details of a transcribed conversation during Sony's latest earnings call, which specified that "no next-gen PlayStation [would] launch over next 12 months."

That rules out the rest of 2019 and the first half of 2020, with the usual holiday-schedule release for Sony's console systems (October / November) making late 2020 the most likely bet.

Sony's own earnings forecast also cites an "increase in development expenses for the next generation console" as a reason for projected lower profits in the next financial year, as well as decreases in sales of first-party software as the PS4 cycle comes to an end.

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We recently learned a host of new details about the next-gen system, including support for 8K, PSVR, and backwards compatibility.

With rumors of next-gen console systems from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo all doing the rounds, players and pundits alike will be looking to this year's E3 2019, to see what new hardware (if any) is showcased at the LA expo.

With Nintendo having ruled it out, Sony's console still being over a year off, and Microsoft having just released an All-Digital Xbox One model, it may that E3 2020 will be the one to watch for a hardware showdown.