The company said in a statement to IGN that it no longer thought E3 was the best showcase for PlayStation: The reason this feels so much more significant is that both of the major console manufacturers are putting out their next-gen consoles this year. On any given previous generation, E3 would have been the battleground upon which the new consoles meet. The side-by-side reveals mean the two are easy to compare to each other. Given that it’s basically designed to pit the companies presenting against each other, is it any wonder that Sony’s not going to participate? But if Sony’s not there, then Microsoft basically has a clear stage as far as new consoles go. Nintendo’s probably not going to announce anything huge — and even if they do, Nintendo has outgrown E3 stage shows, and participates only via Direct now. So Microsoft can reveal more about the Series X without having to worry about the instantaneous reaction being a comparison to a hypothetical PS5 reveal happening at the same event — assuming, of course, that it does the sensible thing and focus on the new console in its show. Sony said in the statement that it’s going to focus on other events, which it will be attending throughout the year: Meanwhile, rumor has it that Sony will reveal new details about the PS5 at the Experience PlayStation event, which starts this week and runs through the middle of February. Even if it doesn’t, we’re still likely to see the console sooner rather than later. After all, both it and the Series X are due to release before the end of the year.
