While we already know that the next PlayStation console will be called the PS5, it wasn’t until just yesterday that a trademark was filed for the name. As noted by Let’s Go Digital, the name PS5 was recorded at the IGE IPI (or Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property) on January 27, 2020. The seemingly late name trademark isn’t actually all that unusual. The PS4 name wasn’t trademarked in many European countries until February 13, 2013, just a week before it’s February 20, 2013 reveal. The PS5 trademark being filed and recorded is fueling a lot of renewed speculation that an official reveal is coming soon.
PlayStation fans have been eagerly awaiting more news about the PlayStation 5. Sony first revealed details about the “next-generation PlayStation” via a surprise Wired interview in April 2019. It finally confirmed the “PlayStation 5” name later in the year through a follow-up Wired interview, as well as the holiday 2020 release window. While Sony’s gotten ahead of leaks and speculation by confirming the console’s existence, it still has yet to officially reveal and unveil the consoles in full. We’ve had teases of prominent features, a look at the logo, and promises that the biggest features are yet to be revealed, but the company hasn’t even officially named the DualShock 5 controller yet, despite the PS France website more or less outing it.
It’s unlikely that yesterday’s PS5 trademark indicates that the console will be revealed in a week, mirroring the PS4 trademark filing, but it certainly shows Sony is getting ready for wider advertising of its next-gen console soon. The February 20, 2013 PlayStation Meeting where the PS4 was revealed wasn’t publicly announced until January 31, 2013, three weeks ahead of time. If Sony is planning on a late-February reveal event, it’s expected that we’ll learn of it in some capacity within the next week, perhaps before this week is out (if the announcement lines up with exactly how things were done in 2013).
Of course, Sony’s been rewriting the playbook when it comes to its unconventional reveal of the PS5 so far. At this time in 2013, the company hadn’t even mentioned the PS4, and E3 2013 played a major part in the follow-up of PS5 information (pricing, the console’s look, and more details were revealed at the press conference that year). With Sony having already revealed a number of critical PlayStation 5 details and opting to step away from E3 2020, it begs the question of what exactly the PS5 marketing strategy will end up being, though it’s clear that there’s a massive focus on the PlayStation community.
[Source: PS5 Trademark Filing (1) (2); via: Let’s Go Digital]
