We already knew that E3 2020's cancellation would have an impact on planned game announcements and reveals this year, especially given that the next-gen consoles are due to release in late 2020.
But, while some announcements may now be delayed, others have been brought forward, meaning we could see the PS5 and Xbox Series X games line-up sooner than expected.
That's according to prominent industry analyst, Daniel Ahmad, who tweeted that E3 2020's cancellation has meant that many announcements and reveals have been moved, and that the first proper next-gen showcase will be much earlier.
With E3 cancelled, a lot of the planned reveals / announcements have been moved out of that single week. Some are now much earlier, others much later. Some still during E3 week ofc.The first proper next gen console/games showcase is much earlier too.April 19, 2020
But who is it?
This showcase will be more than what we've seen to date. This won't be a specs-intensive, snooze-fest. Instead, we're expecting the PS5 and Xbox Series X showcases to show off the next-gen consoles - respectively - in all their glory, revealing all the features and details we've not heard about yet, including the price and launch games line-up. And, in the case of the PS5, we'll finally found out what the next PlayStation actually looks like.
While Ahmad has teased that one of next-gen showcases has been brought forward due to E3's cancellation, he didn't confirm which one. Ahmad also added the caveat that, due to Covid-19, these plans could change.
However, we can speculate that it may be Microsoft's Xbox Series X that will be showcased earlier. Now that Microsoft is no longer confirmed to E3 2020 week, the company would be able to show off its console sooner as a direct result - if it was ready.
We already know that Microsoft is transitioning to digital events for the rest of 2020, with the Xbox Series X launch likely to be online-only.
But, with no confirmation of which company will be hosting its showcase earlier, we shouldn't rule Sony out. After all, when its come to the revealing details about the PS5, Sony has been somewhat of a wildcard - posting the controller reveal as a blog post and spec details by interview.
Either way, we can't wait to get a peek at some Xbox Series X games and PS5 games - because, after all, isn't that the most exciting part of a next-gen console release? So far, we don't know any of Sony's first-party PS5 titles. On the Microsoft first-party side, we only know of Halo Infinite and Hellblade 2. But there have been plenty of third-party games revealed for both consoles.
It's worth noting that, while Ahmad is a reliable industry source, any rumors should be treated with skepticism. Let's just hope we don't have to wait long until this showcase is confirmed - whoever's it is.
- PS5 vs Xbox Series X: what we know so far
