No PS5 launch before May 2020, says Sony

The PS5 will not launch over the next 12 months. Well, that's according to The Wall Street Journal reporter Takashi Mochizuki, who broke the explosive revelation on Twitter today.

Mochizuki, who has an excellent track record in accurately reporting on the future plans of Japanese companies operating in the video game industry, stated that there would be "no next-gen PlayStation launch over the next 12 months".

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Interestingly, Mochizuki also confirmed that Sony was funnelling the vast majority of 31.1 billion Japanese Yen (£215, 771, 880) into the development of the PS5, which is news that is no-doubt music to the ears of loyal PlayStation gamers. Mochizuki's full comments can be read below:

Now of course, the reveal that Sony will not release the next PlayStation over the next 12 months is actually completely understandable, and tallies perfectly with all the latest PS5 release date official information, leaks and rumours.

Indeed, PS5 boss Mark Cerny officially broke cover this month and confirmed that the "next-gen console" would not launch in 2019. And only a few weeks back did an unkillable PS5 leak resurface that slated the next PlayStation for launch for 2020, which itself was consistent with an April 2018 leak that also pegged the PlayStation 5 for release next year.

And that is saying nothing of the rumour from January this year that predicted that both the PS5 and Xbox Two would go head-to-head at E3 2020.

So this new reveal from Mochizuki helps us narrow down the PS5 release date even more. If the console is not going to be launched over the next 12 months, that means that we're looking at a reveal and then launch from May 2020 onward.

Now, Sony is ducking out of E3 2019 this year as it currently wants to "crouch down" to "jump higher in the future", and it is no-doubt using this time to build on the fruits of its rumoured shadow war to really make the PS5 a true next Xbox killer. 

However, the Japanese maker has said nothing about missing E3 2020. What are the chances, then, of a show-winning PS5 reveal at next year's show in June, with then an official launch in November or December 2020, which is historically when past PlayStation consoles have hit store shelves?

Based off this latest information, it suddenly feels not just possible, but increasingly likely.

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