According to the latest rumor, Sony could very well be announcing the price and release date of its next-generation PlayStation 5 console within a matter of hours. Italian analyst Roberto Serrano believes that the PS5 release date and price will be announced around 12:30pm PT.

Serrano has accurately leaked PlayStation information in the past, previously revealing the PS5 game showcase event date prior to it officially being announced. Considering this, he has a pretty good track record, but fans should still take this information with a grain of salt. Luckily, fans don't have to wait all that much longer to find out if Serrano's information is correct. Assuming his information is right, then fans should learn the PS5 price and release date in just a couple of hours from the time of this writing.

RELATED: New PS5 Color Scheme Leaked By PlayStation Marketing Material

Lending credibility to Serrano's claims is the fact that Amazon Australia has started putting up pre-order pages for various PlayStation 5 games. It's possible that this is being done in preparation for PS5 pre-orders going live, which would presumably happen right after Sony announces the price and release date in an official capacity.

last of us 2 neil druckmann

If Sony does announce the PS5 price and release date today as rumored, then it would potentially be a pretty big blow to Microsoft. Microsoft has yet to reveal the Xbox Series X price or release date, and isn't expected to do so at its July 23 event either. Sony getting the jump on Xbox could convince many people to go ahead and pre-order Sony's new console before they even really get a good chance to see what Microsoft will have to offer with the Xbox Series X this holiday season.

Those that want to ensure that they have a PlayStation 5 console on day one should prepare to go pre-order as soon as possible. Typically pre-orders go live immediately after the price and release date for the new console is announced, so fans may want to make sure they're available to head to GameStop or wherever else they pre-order consoles this afternoon.

Sony has previously stated that there will be enough PS5 consoles available to meet demand, but other reports have said that the PS5 will be available in limited quantities. Hopefully Serrano's information is accurate so fans can stop speculating.

MORE: Don't Be Fooled By This Skyrim PS5 'Leak'

Source: PlayStation Universe