PS5: PAX East attendees will not see debut of new console as Sony withdraws

Aside from revealing a few features of the PS5, the manufacturer has barely hinted at anything after its CES 2020 logo debacle. While it was rumoured that PAX East would be a possible venue for Sony to debut its next platform, the latest development is bad news for fans. Those who will attend the event will be disappointed to know that the Japanese tech group has pulled out due to the Wuhan coronavirus scare. It seems the gaming industry is at a loss as to when the exact reveal date would happen.

The way Sony is handling its upcoming gaming machine reveal is becoming a big problem for consumers. So far, it looks like Microsoft is the only company that has made some headway in the next-generation console space with its Xbox Series X. So far, the public has already seen the final retail design, while Xbox chief Phil Spencer dropped some interesting details about the game system. The last that anyone heard anything about the PlayStation 5 was during an earnings call earlier this month.

So far, all of the speculated venues have been a bust for alleged sources. Shortly after the CES presentation, Sony Interactive Entertainment executive Jim Ryan promised that there are still surprises on the way. After a new set of rumours suggested a PlayStation Meeting pegged for this week, it turned out to be bogus as well, as detailed by BGR. With PAX East no longer a possible venue due to fears of the coronavirus outbreak, it appears that everything is back to square one.

It seems that the company posted the announcement as an update to an older blog post on its official channel. "Today, Sony Interactive Entertainment made the decision to cancel its participation at PAX East in Boston this year due to increasing concerns related to COVID-19 (also known as 'novel coronavirus')."

The statement continued,"We felt this was the safest option as the situation is changing daily. We are disappointed to cancel our participation in this event, but the health and safety of our global workforce is our highest concern." In a related report, Sony likewise confirmed that it along with Facebook are not attending the Game Developers Conference 2020, too.