It's nearly impossible to predict anything in the gaming industry because not only do the best-laid plans often go awry (and are never publicly known), but there are so many moving gears it's impossible to even point to them all. At the same time, a lot of the gaming community is built around hype, and that's easily seen with the recent release of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, one of the highest-rated games of all time already. However, there's a rumbling in the background for a PlayStation Showcase, and a lot of reasons to believe it is taking place next week (May 22-May 26).

But even then, Sony could move the event without anyone ever knowing because it has not been officially announced. However, known insider Jeff Grubb has suggested that the PlayStation Showcase is taking place next week. Grubb's information is trustworthy, but it goes beyond that. With several events like the Xbox Showcase, Summer Game Fest, and many more taking place in June 2023, Sony may want to get out ahead of them. It has always tried to stand out (or stand away) from events like this so more eyes are dedicated to it. Therefore, a PlayStation Showcase taking place next week is likely, but May 18 may be the determiner of that.

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A Rocky Pattern for the PlayStation Showcase

Sony Building Up Big Playstation Showcase

If Sony is going to announce a PlayStation Showcase for next week, it's only logical that it would announce the event this week. When it comes to events like a State of Play, Sony has a crude pattern that can be seen. For example, most State of Plays (smaller, but excellent events) take place on Thursday and are announced on the Tuesday beforehand. There are plenty of exceptions to the rule, but even then, the two-day window usually holds. It doesn't with PlayStation Showcases, and the hardest part is narrowing down what is a PlayStation Showcase-level event and what isn't.

That's because PlayStation Showcase is a rare, relatively new branding. Before Sony pulled out E3, these were still "PlayStation Showcases," but they were beholden to the E3 schedule. Afterward, there was the Future of Gaming Event, there were PS5 Showcases, and in 2021 simply a PlayStation Showcase. Sony didn't host a PlayStation Showcase in 2022, with the rumored cancelation purportedly being due to Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition, but many are hoping for one this year. Yet, looking at the two PS5 Showcases in 2020 and the one PlayStation Showcase in 2021, there's not a strong, consistent pattern. For example, two events take place in September, one event takes place in June, and it's hard to pinpoint anything. That doesn't mean fans are completely devoid of information, though.

A Bold PlayStation Showcase Prediction

Sony-PlayStation-5-Official-Trailer-Showcase

As a result, this should be taken with a grain of salt, but combined with Grubb's Week of May 25 claim, it would make sense if the PlayStation Showcase was actually on May 25 and it was announced on May 18. There are two possible reasons for this.

Out of the last three PlayStation Showcases, two of them took place on a Thursday and were announced on the previous Thursday. Both May 18 and May 25 are Thursdays, and since Sony seems to favor Thursdays (when factoring in State of Play events too), this date makes sense. Both Thursday events, seen below, were announced on the prior Thursday. Secondly, to claim something is happening the Week of May 25 is oddly specific wording. Someone would usually begin a week with a Monday, so the claim of Week of May 22 would hold water too, but singling out May 25 could carry a bigger hint than first glimpse may suggest.

  • PS5 Showcase: Thursday, June 11, 2020.
    • Was announced Friday, May 29 for June 4 (a Thursday). This event was postponed by a week.
  • PS5 Showcase: Wednesday, September 16, 2020.
    • Was Announced on Saturday, September 12, 2020.
  • PlayStation Showcase 2021: Thursday, September 9, 2021
    • Was Announced on Thursday, September 2, 2021.

Now, this may be a bold prediction and could be wrong for any number of reasons, but it's a solid bet. It's also one with an added benefit. In theory, Sony could announce the PlayStation Showcase any day this week, if it's taking place next week, but it's very rare that Sony announces anything over a weekend. Not impossible, but rare. So, if a PlayStation Showcase is going to happen next week, fans would more-than-likely know by the end of May 18.

It's still possible it happens later, nor is a cancelation behind-the-scenes something that could be ruled out. May 18 is entirely based on the possibility of it taking place next week, which is not a guarantee. Regardless, it would be great to see a PlayStation Showcase happen soon, especially as Sony's Fall 2023 isn't really fleshed out, and fans are champing at the bit for new updates on Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

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