Sony has had to come out and squash out rumours that a number of UK retailers are currently in possession of PlayStation 5 demo stations. It all started when a photo of a PlayStation-branded demo station being set up in a branch of Currys PC World did the rounds online.
Despite the fact that the demo station contained absolutely nothing to suggest that it was set up to house a PlayStation 5, the internet got a little excited and started to wildly speculate that this was what it was for. Some argued that the colours and branding were just like the PS5 branding we've seen so far. Others countered that's because the PS5 branding is near-identical to that of the PlayStation 4.
A Currys PC World employee then got in touch with PushSquare to claim that the retailer has had these demo stations for about a year now, and that the tape surrounding it was a recent addition in adherence with social distancing guidelines. They admitted that they didn't know why a console wasn't present at the demo station, however, leading many to believe that it might still be for a PS5.
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However, Sony then issued a statement to IGN to confirm once and for all that the kiosk everyone was getting so excited about has absolutely nothing to do with the PS5. The company didn't elaborate on what the kiosk was for, but the most obvious answer is that it's simply an old PlayStation 4 demo station. It's not entirely clear why console is absent from the photo, though. Maybe Currys PC World removes them at the end of the day to minimise the risk of theft?
While it's a little disappointing that the image didn't turn out to be for an upcoming PS5 hands-on station in the UK, it's probably for the best. After all, we're currently in the middle of a global pandemic. I don't much fancy queuing up to then spend 15 minutes playing with a controller that's just been used by a few dozen other people, many of whom won't have washed their hands. I've been to both E3 and Gamescom, and believe me when I tell you those demo stations can get grubby fast.
For now, we just have to wait patiently for more PlayStation news. There's talk of a State Of Play presentation in August, where it's hoped we'll get more information of upcoming games, as well as that all-important price and release date.
Featured Image Credit: SonyTopics: PlayStation 5, PS5
