PS5 Nets November 19th Release Date as New Games Are Unveiled

In an event to end all events, Sony’s PS5 Showcase live-stream event that occurred at 9 pm (BST) on September 16th was a spectacle of information, trailers and gameplay footage that had gamers collectively on the edge of their seat. From confirmation of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s Hogwarts Legacy to a surprise unveil of God of War: Ragnorak, the 45-minute event also revealed Sony’s upcoming console price as well as its release date.

Starting the live-stream with a trailer and gameplay reveal for previously unannounced Final Fantasy XVI, Sony kicked off their show with a bang before swiftly moving onto our first gameplay footage of the upcoming Spider-Man Miles Morales, expected to release alongside the PS5. Setting the scene with a tidbit of narrative before demonstrating the graphical upgrades that the PS5 has allowed for, it also revealed Miles’ new electric and invisibility abilities when taking on enemies.

What followed after then was one of the many (if understandably controversial) highlights of the show, as Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment took to the stream and gave us our first official announcement for Hogwarts Legacy, a game set in the world of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels. Serving as a new narrative RPG experience that takes place both before Harry Potter and the Fantastic Beasts movies in the late 19th century; the game has been eagerly anticipated from fans all over the world since its leak a little over a year ago. While the trailer was sparse of many details, it showcased many magical creatures and beasts, the iconic Hogwarts castle, and a large open world. Set for an undisclosed 2021 release date, it was everything fans wanted and more.

Alongside the many announcements, Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War also received a trailer along with some gameplay footage that provided a setting and backdrop for the game’s 1981 setting during the height of the American and Russian Cold War. Treyarch, the developers of the game, also announced the multiplayer alpha experience from September 18th-20th and will give players a chance to experience the game at an earlier date in an exclusive event for PlayStation 4 owners.

Following announcements then saw Resident Evil Village show off a new cinematic trailer, Arkane studios giving yet another peak to their upcoming Deathloop PS5 exclusive, and looks at Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition, Oddworld: Soulstorm and Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach.

With only two games left to announce and no details on pre-orders for the console, price, or release date, Sony took the time to show off another highly anticipated game in the form of the Demon’s Souls remake. Giving us a brief look at gameplay and some truly stunning visuals, this is easily one of the most anticipated games of the upcoming console and ended (or so we thought) the game reveals on a notable high.

With the moment everyone had been waiting for swiftly approaching, Sony took one final detour to drum up excitement for the PS5 with the announcement of the PS5 Collection, a library of games which defined the PS4 that will be readily available to download for those with a PS Plus subscription and who purchases a PS5. Offering games like God of War, Bloodborne, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Ratchet and Clank, Persona 5, and many more, this new offering is established in the hope of enticing fans to purchase a new console at launch and offer some sort of rivalling for the deal that Microsoft currently have with their Xbox Game Pass.

Now finally, we received the information we had all been waiting for. In a brief announcement, Sony unveiled the price of its upcoming console as a cool £449, equaling the Xbox Series X on price. However, a budget all-digital edition that will release alongside the PS5 also had its price revealed at £359, which currently sits as significantly higher than the Xbox Series S but offers less of a downgrade in hardware than Xbox’s budget console. A release date was also announced of November 19th for the UK and November 12 in select other countries, including the USA. While UK fans will have to wait an extra week for release, it’s far better than the December release date that was previously rumoured.

Pre-orders at Game and Smyths Toys went live as of midnight on September 17th but as of this morning, Game and Smyths have already sold out their expected stock. This comes as little surprise when Sony reported expected manufacturing issues. However, it is unclear whether they will be a surge of stock over the coming months on the lead-up to release date.

In one final surprise announcement, however, Sony finally unveiled its first promo trailer for the upcoming game God of War: Ragnarok, a sequel to the acclaimed God of War that was released in 2018. While the trailer only showcased the voice of Kratos and a short animation, its reveal of a 2021 release date had sparked excitement across the board.