Sony has made it official: A State of Play returns on Thursday, February 12th, at 23:00 PM CET. The show is expected to last more than 60 minutes and will feature news, gameplay updates, and announcements from studios worldwide – live on YouTube and Twitch.
This makes it clear that this won't be a short trailer parade, but rather a more substantial format. This is particularly relevant because Sony has recently been releasing information in a highly fragmented way. An hour of bundled content at least suggests some substance, even if caution is still advisable.
State of Play focus: Indie, Third-Party – plus a Sony update
According to PlayStation, the State of Play in February will primarily focus on indie and third-party games for PS5. The program will be complemented by “a pinch“Updates from PlayStation Studios, presumably about saros and MarathonThis is rather vaguely worded, as it neither confirms nor completely rules out major first-party revelations.
In recent months, many creative projects outside of blockbusters have been neglected. A curated platform can provide real added value here, provided it doesn't just consist of short teasers. It will be crucial whether Sony also reveals concrete release windows or playable material.
UpdateInsider Shinobi602 has raised the possibility of a Santa Monica Studio reveal, suggesting it could be the 2,5-dimensional "God of War." He indirectly hints at a 2027/28 release window.
Technology, timing and transmission
The State of Play will be broadcast in English, with Japanese subtitles also announced. For European viewers, the 23:00 PM time slot remains classically late, but manageable.
Sony also points out that licensed music may be part of the broadcast. Co-streams are permitted, but VODs and re-uploads could be restricted due to copyright issues. Anyone planning clips or summaries should consistently avoid problematic music tracks.
A runtime of over an hour raises expectations. However, without clear communication about first-party titles, there's a risk that viewers will wait for "the one big moment" that might not even come. On the other hand, that could be precisely the advantage: less show, more content.
Ultimately, this State of Play is primarily a snapshot of the company's current position. It reveals Sony's communication strategy for 2026 – and whether content will once again take center stage over the surrounding marketing.
Nice, that means we'll get to see more of the in-house AAA exclusive game that's coming out this year. Looking forward to it.
Of that, 30 minutes were GAAS from Sony, 20 minutes were good third-party games like Resident Evil or FF7 Remake Part 3.
Ah yes, Sony still needs to announce a gaming mouse and keyboard so we can join the ranks of boring State of Play presentations that are driven more by third parties than by Sony itself.
Don't take it the wrong way, it's really not meant to be offensive.
But you always have something to grumble about 😂
I'm aware that Sony's renewed commitment to and admission of live services isn't exactly winning them any points with the community (there are, after all, many very young users who fall squarely into this target group!), but there are also other single-player titles with fantastic presentation, high immersion, and excellent gameplay scheduled for 2026 that also shone last year 😉
A little more optimism and positivity, please, alongside a little bit of irony and sarcasm.
Well, I'd generally agree with you, but I'm not the one getting upset. It might come across that way. I don't really care what happens with PlayStation anymore; it makes little difference whether they show something or not. I'll only watch it because of Capcom and Final Fantasy VII Part 3, or other third-party games. Regarding the young target audience, sure, I agree with you that's where the most money is, but they all already have Fortnite, and I don't see much chance of successfully positioning games like Horizon alongside them. Hey, in the end, I don't really care; it's not my job that's affected. And Games as a Service (GAS) is a dangerous undertaking anyway. The latest example is the XO2 fighting game, or whatever it's called. A complete flop. I've said it: it's simply not enough to copy existing concepts and think it's easy money. Everyone already has their own GAS, and in the case of fighting games, it's Street Fighter, Tekken, MK, and a few others on the fringes. It's simply not enough to focus on competitive games, which are only a small part of the market anyway, while neglecting basics like lore, content, and brand loyalty (branding). Of course, XoO2 can't rely on legacy games, but that makes things even more difficult. And while Horizon has legacy games and fans, whether those fans actually want a game like this is debatable, because everyone sees something different in the IP, and sometimes even the developers themselves don't see it that way.
I couldn't care less what happens to PlayStation anymore. The brand has suffered. I used to be the first in line to pay for anything, hardware or software. I bought the PS3 "fat lady" on day one. Now the brand is worthless to me; if it costs more than a certain amount, I simply don't buy it (hardware).
I haven't paid full price for software in a long time thanks to Instant Gaming, or I buy the cheapest edition available for Sony games. For Capcom Requiem, I got the deluxe version. As I've said several times, the Alliance wasn't a random purchase; it was also there to have the option of switching to the Steam store at any time and not being so dependent on Sony. My perception of the PlayStation brand and loyalty has definitely shifted. And that's not bitterness, as some might think or accuse me of; it's emancipation, if you will. Getting rid of the dependency. And if it were up to me, this independence would go so far that I might eventually give up gaming altogether. It's not worth it anymore anyway, since only remakes are released. The best thing to do is get a used, older console with games and go for it, or just emulate the games.
A preview of PSSR 2.0 and the PS Portal Pro, including the 120Hz OLED display, would be nice, as would a brief look at upcoming home console hardware accompanied by a Wolverine gameplay presentation with a release date, a close-up of Saros, and a statement on how strong Team NINJA's Nioh 3 launch has been for the upcoming PlayStation year. Perhaps Sony will decide to deliver a solid show for the launch this year.
Playstation users eat well in 2026 💯