Sony has postponed its PlayStation 5 event to allow “more important voices to be heard.”
The decision comes in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, who died after a white police officer suffocated him with his knee. Floyd’s death has sparked protests around the world, demanding an end to racial injustice.
The event, dubbed the Future of Gaming, was due to take place online on Thursday, June 4, and would have unveiled some of the games coming to Sony's next-gen console.
The company announced the postponement on Twitter, with a statement saying: “While we understand gamers worldwide are excited to see PS5 games, we do not feel that right now is a time for celebration and for now, we want to stand back and allow more important voices to be heard.”
Sony did not announce a new date for the Future of Gaming event.
The company is still expected to release its much-anticipated gaming console later this year as planned.
Jim Ryan, chief executive and president of Sony Interactive Entertainment, told the BBC on Friday, May 29, that the coronavirus pandemic has not affected launch plans for the PlayStation 5.
“[The pandemic is] obviously introducing a level of complexity any business would prefer not to have to deal with,” Ryan told the BBC. “But we’re feeling really good about the supply chain, we’re going to launch this year and we’ll be global.”
A number of companies have decided to take a stand against racial injustice following the death of Floyd in Minneapolis.
Music companies, such as Capitol Records and Atlantic records, are now observing Blackout Tuesday as a way of showing support to those fighting racial discrimination and social injustice.