Sony skipping E3 2020 ahead of rumored PS5 launch event

(Image credit: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)

Here's some big but not surprising news: Sony is officially skipping E3 for the second year in a row. The Japanese gaming giant confirmed in a statement to Gamesindustry.biz that it will not be attending E3 2020, even with the PS5 slated to launch by the end of the year.

"We have great respect for the ESA as an organization, but we do not feel the vision of E3 2020 is the right venue for what we are focused on this year," a Sony Interactive Entertainment Spokesperson told Gamesindustry.biz. 

This is the second year in a row Sony is skipping E3, which takes place every June in Los Angeles and typically sees the reveal of the most anticipated games of the year from multiple publishers. 

The move isn't an entirely shocking one -- Sony has long been rumored to host its own PS5 reveal event in February 2020, and a recent 4chan post seems to lend further weight to this speculation. The post in question claims that the Feb. 5 event will see the reveal of the PS5's hardware design, key software features, exclusive games and $499 price, though we have no way of verifying if this information is accurate. Sony did mention to Gamesindustry.biz that it plans to participate in

For what it's worth, Sony first unveiled the PS4 at a special February 2013 press event ahead of the console's November 2013 launch, so there is a slight precedence to this timing.

The PS5 is slated to launch in Holiday 2020, promising features such as 8K and 120Hz support, ray tracing, near instantaneous SSD load times and a new controller with advanced haptics. 

That Sony is skipping E3 on the year of such a major launch speaks to the company's changing strategy. It's also indicative of the arguable decline of  E3, which has shifted to become more of a fan-oriented event over the years and lost some goodwill after the Electronic Software Association (the company that runs E3) leaked the personal info of more than 2,000 media professionals that attended last year's show.

Michael Andronico

Mike Andronico is Senior Writer at CNNUnderscored. He was formerly Managing Editor at Tom's Guide, where he wrote extensively on gaming, as well as running the show on the news front. When not at work, you can usually catch him playing Street Fighter, devouring Twitch streams and trying to convince people that Hawkeye is the best Avenger.

Latest in Playstation
The PlayStation Portal on a counter with the start screen for Horizon Forbidden West
PlayStation Portal just got upgraded cloud streaming features — here’s what’s new
God of War Ragnarok
PlayStation’s epic March sale is live with PS5 games from $3 — here’s 17 deals I’d buy
Horizon Forbidden West on PC
AI-powered PlayStation characters are being tested at Sony — what we know
The Last of Us Part I screenshot with a Tom's Guide deal tag
PlayStation launches new sale with big discounts on essential PS5 games — here’s my 17 favorite deals from $2
PS VR2 headset with PS VR2 Sense controllers
PlayStation VR2 getting a $200 price drop in March — is it worth buying now?
The PlayStation logo on a PS5 Pro
Ex-Sony executive predicts the PS6 will arrive in 2028 — what you need to know
Latest in News
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Sunday, March 16 (#644)
Nintendo Switch 2
New Nintendo Switch 2 FCC filing suggests this beloved Nintendo controller could make a comeback
(From L to R) Rohan (Nik Dodani), Josh (Brandon Flynn), Dorothy (Edie Falco), John (Dean Norris), and Liddie (Lisa Kuthrow) in The Parenting
Max top 10 movies — here’s the 3 worth watching right now
NYT Strands on a cellphone
NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #378 (Sunday, March 16 2025)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE renders
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE price leak is bad news for budget-conscious buyers
Google Assistant
Gemini to kill off Google Assistant on most Android phones — here's what you need to know