PlayStation to Officially Skip E3 2020

With PlayStation 5 less than a year away, Sony fans are certainly eager to see the system in action. Unfortunately, fans won't be seeing it in action at E3. For the second year in a row, PlayStation will not have an official presence at the show. The news was heavily rumored after last year's decision, but Sony made things official today in a statement given to GamesIndustry.biz. Despite the change, Sony promises that fans will have plenty of other opportunities to see the new system, as well as upcoming titles for PS4, at a number of other events throughout the year.

"After thorough evaluation SIE has decided not to participate in E3 2020," said a Sony Interactive Entertainment spokesperson to GamesIndustry.biz. "We have great respect for the ESA as an organization, but we do not feel the vision of E3 2020 is the right venue for what we are focused on this year.

"We will build upon our global events strategy in 2020 by participating in hundreds of consumer events across the globe. Our focus is on making sure fans feel part of the PlayStation family and have access to play their favorite content. We have a fantastic line up of titles coming to PlayStation 4, and with the upcoming launch of PlayStation 5, we are truly looking forward to a year of celebration with our fans."

Sony isn't the only company that has dialed back their presence at E3. For years now, Nintendo has opted to stream their presentations, rather than offer them live. The format has worked well for the company, and may have inspired Sony's decision to skip the show. This leaves Microsoft as the only console manufacturer with a major presence at E3 this year, which could prove a boon with the Xbox Series X also set to release this year.

Despite the fact that Sony won't be at the show in an official capacity, it doesn't mean Sony fans won't have anything to look forward to. There will likely be a number of PS5 games announced at the show by third party developers. That was certainly the case last year, and with the system's impending launch, publishers will need the show's spotlight to get their games noticed.

How do you feel about Sony's decision to skip E3? Are you still excited for the event this year? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!