PlayStation Showcase 2021 PS5 PlayStation 5 1

Here we go, then: the PlayStation Showcase, three months after E3 2021, with nary a word from the platform holder in the interim. I’ve got to be honest, while supposed “industry insiders” started new press conference rumours on what felt like a weekly basis, I’d gotten to the point towards the end of August where I didn’t think this was even going to happen. The new Sony is quiet, closeted, secretive – it doesn’t need these kind of events anymore, does it?

Apparently, it does – and this is the so-called “big one”. The manufacturer’s done very little to douse expectations, which means imaginations are running wild – you’ve probably already seen some of the ridiculous rumours flying around. For me, this is both exciting and a little concerning: PlayStation has spent the best part of a year hiding in the shadows, so it better bring the house down or there’s going to be hell to pay. I think the publisher has no choice but to impress here.

To be clear, I’m not saying a weak offering would be end of days territory, far from it: the world will keep turning and the PS5 will continue to sell. But with regards to the enthusiasts these kind of events are aimed at, there can be no half-measures: dole out another deep dive into Deathloop and the pitchforks will be raised around the web tonight. That’s not to criticise Arkane’s upcoming first-person shooter – it looks excellent – but we’re long overdue something new.

PlayStation Showcase 2021 PS5 PlayStation 5 2

Sony’s strategy this year has been, honestly, to hide away for long portions of it. I obviously appreciate that coronavirus has had an impact on its approach, but today’s PlayStation Showcase will ultimately shape what I think about it all. Because, while the company will point to its record-setting hardware sales, I personally – as a fan – have been feeling a bit frustrated. I know many of you share the same sentiment, too – it’s been obvious reading comments on the site.

It’s not that I need the platform holder to drip-feed me to help me to enjoy my games – not at all, I actually think the PS5 has had one of the stronger starts to a generation I can remember. It’s more that I feel the firm has kept me at arm’s length, and as an early adopter and a big investor into the ecosystem, it’s made me miss the old days. Sony used to dominate industry discussion; these days entire months can pass without a peep from the platform holder.

So, while I appreciate the company won’t be unloading every single piece of ammunition in its arsenal during the PlayStation Showcase, I’m looking for a little more openness – a roadmap for the console that millions have already, in good faith, invested in. Sony can’t be secretive and reserved during today’s livestream, and it can’t waste people’s time: purely because of the way it’s conducted itself this year, this 40 minutes kinda needs to be good. No pressure, then.

PlayStation Showcase 2021 PS5 PlayStation 5 3

What are you expecting from today’s PlayStation Showcase? If you want to know What Time is Sony’s Livestream, then follow the link, and make sure you join us live for all of the action.