Microsoft may be basking in the limelight after the confirmation of its Xbox Series S budget next-gen console, but it sounds like Sony has plans of its own for this week. If a message from popular UK retailer GAME is to be believed, Sony has a PS5 announcement planned for later today, September 8, that could be the precursor to pre-order availability.
The GAME Guildford Twitter account made the announcement seemingly in lieu of the Xbox news that had been circulating over the last few hours. They claim that PS5 (not Sony, oddly) has an announcement planned and that it will be part of the pre-order process.
What makes the situation more curious is the fact that GAMEGuildford deleted the Tweet. A deleted tweet can mean one of two things: either the information was revealed when it shouldn't have been or the message was incorrect. That being said, this isn't a random Twitter account, but one associated with GAME.
GAME is the biggest video game retailer in the UK and could be privy to Sony's plans ahead of time. Presumably, GAME will need to get its digital and retail stores prepared for the onrush of PS5 pre-orders that will descend on them the second Sony makes things official. Last week, Sony hinted that the PS5 might be in short supply this year, so gamers are going to be extra quick to jump on any opportunity to pre-order.
While GAME's claim is sure to get PlayStation fans excited, they should temper their expectations. During the weekend, Sony claimed that there wouldn't be any PS5 news this week, even though there were some rumored events and announcements. So if Sony does announce something, then it likely didn't intend to originally. It's possible that the recent Microsoft and Xbox Series leaks have forced Sony to accelerate its timeline in order to ensure its competitor doesn't hold the next-gen limelight for too long.
Monday night, Microsoft had its plans for the Xbox Series S spoiled by a series of leaks that confirmed both the design of the console, the price, and the release date. The leakers also confirmed that the Xbox Series X will release on November 10th for $499.
Presumably, Microsoft has been sitting on this announcement with the intent to open pre-orders for its Xbox Series line of next-gen consoles. Whether or not it was going to take place on Tuesday is unclear, but Microsoft took the initiative and did confirm the Xbox Series S design and price.
This week seemed like it was going to be fairly straightforward but things changed in just a matter of hours. Microsoft's cards have been shown, but not completely. And now there are suggestions that Sony might be planning its own reveal as well.