PS4 UK release date uncertain

Posted on 21 Feb 2013 at 14:04, by Tom Morgan

Sony announced the existence of its next-generation PS4 console last night at a New York event, but was vague when it came to important details like release date - especially important facts for Europeans who are traditionally the last ones to get new Sony consoles.

Although it's apparently "too early to say" whether Europe will be left waiting for the PS4, Sony would only go so far as to confirm a "Holiday 2013" release window at the US event, it's looking increasingly likely that we'll be missing out while while US and Japanese gamers get to play with one in time for Christmas.

Based on its last three console launches, Sony has always left Europe until last. The original PlayStation went on sale in Japan in December 1994, taking ten months to reach the US and leaving Europe until a month later. The PS2 made it to all three continents in the same year (2000), but Japan got it in March, America in October and Europe in November.

Sony'a current generation PS3 launched in Japan on the 11th of November 2006. It only took a week to arrive in the US, but we were left waiting until March 2007, leading to a lucrative import market where consoles were trading for many times their value.

Talking to Eurogamer at the PS4 launch event, Sony Worldwide Studios chief Shuhei Yoshida said that "People in Europe always complain that they're last even when sometimes some things are exclusive to European consumers".

"For us, Europe is an enormously important market. That's no question. So I hope European consumers can play PS4 as soon as it's available somewhere, but I'm not making promises."

Hopefully Sony will have more information for us at E3 in June, where we might get our first glimpse of the console itself.

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