PS5 release date may have Been Leaked - and it's slower than Xbox Series X

PS5 release date may have Been Leaked - and it's slower than Xbox Series X

Updated at 9:39 a.m. ET: A new leak from Amazon Japan puts the PS5 release date at November 20.

The PS5 release date may have been revealed by an unexpected source. In any case, thanks to the leaked instruction manual, we have learned some interesting things about the PS5's media remote control.

The PS5 could appear as early as November 17, but not likely earlier. This timing has little to do with the Xbox Series X, which will be released on November 10, but has little to do with Disney+.

Information comes from Brazilian technology news site Tecnoblog, courtesy of GamesRadar Tecnoblog has obtained the PS5 Media Remote, an accessory that allows the PS5 to be controlled like a streaming box or Blu-ray player. We obtained the manual. (This accessory allows you to control your PS5 like a streaming box or Blu-ray player (the PS2, PS3, and PS4 had similar accessories, as did all Xbox models). Like many streaming remotes these days, the PS5 accessory has four dedicated buttons that activate specific services. In Brazil, these buttons are reserved for Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, and Disney+.

Therefore, Paulo Higa of Tecnoblog stated that it is unlikely that the PS5 will be released before November 17. The media remote will be released at the same time as the PS5 and Sony will not sell accessories with non-functioning buttons, he writes.

Indeed, November 17 seems like the earliest possible release date for the PS5, but it probably won't have much to do with Disney+. Sony will want to wait at least a week after the Xbox Series X launches, and Microsoft's console will launch on November 10. Theoretically, Sony could get a head start and launch on November 6, but the general consensus is that Sony will wait for Microsoft to launch its new console first.

Additionally, the streaming remote could and does activate with a non-functioning button. (Even if Sony were to launch on November 6, a "Disney+" button would not shake our faith in the electronics giant. Both Sony and consumers are well aware that Disney+ is coming, and having to wait a few weeks for the shortcut buttons to start working is a relatively small ask.

In other words, the PS5 will probably not be released before November 17, but to tie it to the Disney+ launch date in Brazil seems like reading tea leaves. And even if November 17 is the earliest date, it remains to be seen what the latest date will be. If Sony wants to launch the console in November, then the 20th or 27th would be the likely dates. However, Microsoft has decided to go against convention and launch on a Tuesday. Who's to say that Sony won't do the same?

Categories