Sony confirms that the PS5 will launch everywhere at the same time rather than a staggered release around the world, like the company did with the PS4. The company offered this confirmation of a global release days ahead of a major PS5 reveal event where several games for the console will be announced.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO, Jim Ryan, confirmed that the PS5 is "going to launch this holiday and we're going to launch globally." In comparison, the PS4 launched first in North America, was available in PAL regions two weeks later, and didn't arrive in Japan for nearly three months.
When Sony chose to release the PS4 in Japan later than in other regions, the company said that this was because it expected more games for its home region to be available until then. However, Sony is unlikely to face another issue like this with the PS5. A report from earlier today revealed that Sony is asking developers to make PS4 games forward compatible with the PS5 if they are submitted for certification after July 13, 2020.
The PS5 will also have a huge library of playable games because of its backward compatibility. While Sony hasn't confirmed all of the details of how the PS5 backward compatibility feature will work, players should expect that many of the most popular PS4 games will be available on the console. This will help to ensure that there is something for all players, in all PS5 launch regions, to enjoy.
However, while many will be glad to learn that the PS5 will be available globally later this year, there are many details about the console's launch that Sony hasn't confirmed. One of these is the PS5's availability. There have been reports that because of the high price of the console, the PS5 will be in limited supply. Sony expects the higher price to lead to lower demand. Fans around the world will want to know if some regions will have more stock than others and what Sony will be doing to make sure that fans in all countries that want to buy a PS5 will be able to get one.
Fans will also be asking about any regional pricing of the console as it was far more expensive to get a PS4 in Brazil than it was to get one in the United States. It's unclear if Sony will be confirming the PS5's price at the reveal event on June 4, 2020.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz