PlayStation State of Play Countdown: What It Actually Is

Last updated on November 25th, 2025 at 04:39 am

Indeed, I will frankly admit that at the beginning when I heard about the game called the State of Play, I believed it was some kind of a gaming tournament. Turns out, I was way off.

In case you are reading Twitter and your screen is showing buttons of countdowns to PlayStation State of Play, this is what is actually going on.

What Even Is State of Play?

State of Play is an announcement of new games at Sony, and it does not involve conducting a huge conference. It is like a Nintendo Direct, but PlayStation.

They broadcast on YouTube and Twitch, hosting it approximately 35-40 minutes, and leave trailers of the future PS5, PS4 and PlayStation VR games. No audience, no stage show, and no game, bare game pitches and gameplay videos.

These began being practiced by Sony as far back as 2019, and they are now the primary manner in which PlayStation communicates to us about the next thing.

Why do individuals count down to such things?

This is the thing thing is that Sony does not publicize these events several weeks before. Typically, a State of Play will be dropped a day or two in advance.

When one puts countdown, it implies that something has been addressed. And gamers? We lose our minds a little.

I have observed some changes in work schedules by people just to watch these live. The hype is true since you could be viewing the initial play of a game that you have been yearning to in years.

It was in 2025 when we first got a glimpse of Marvel Wolverine action and a glimpse of the extended footage of Saros, the game two people have been losing their minds over.

When Do These Happen?

No one has a schedule and this fact makes the countdown posts even more significant.

In 2021, PlayStation has abandoned four large State of Play events: February 12, June 4, September 24, and November 11. Again it varies by its timing but it typically begins at around 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET.

In the non-US that would be 10 PM GMT or 11 PM CEST. To people in Asia, it is normally the following day, such as 6 AM JST.

Your chances of being announced are best on the Playstation Blog and their official Twitter account. When you make the post, then alarm yourself.

What Can and Does Get Announced?

State of Play is not restricted to the major exclusive games only. Yes, there will be first-party content made by PlayStation Studios, although they include third-party games and indies, as well.

The last few announcements showed all of Crimson Desert (March 2026) up to Dragon Quest VII Reimagined (February 2026). They even set about the Microsoft Flight Simulator coming to PS5 which was mad.

And even with hardware announcements they are sometimes included, like limited edition controllers, accessories, and so on. At one of them the Astro Bot Edition DualSense controller was unveiled.

How to View a Movie Without Arguing With It.

To watch State of Play, you do not need a PlayStation. Get there now, just turned to YouTube or Twitch when it is on air.

This is what I have personally found out is important: ensure that you have at least 5 Mbps internet speed. Any less and you are getting buffering as the good stuff falls.

Besides, in case you intend to record or co-stream it, pay attention to the music. The background songs are protected by copyright and your video is likely to be flagged in the future. Just a heads up.

Is It Worth the Hype?

It depends upon what you expect.

You may not get 40 minutes of PlayStation exclusives as you hope. State of Play events of the recent past are biased towards third-party and indie games.

However, would you like to know what is in store with PlayStation Grove in the year ahead? Yeah, it’s worth tuning in.

Now I have seen a couple of them, and, to be honest, the announcements by itself are not always the best parts of it, it is the ability to watch the announcements live with the community. The real time chat responses, the instant Reddit discussion and the memes that immediately appear after an uncovered.

That is where the count down excitement lays real.

Bottom Line

State of Play PlayStation State of Play is a videoconference announcement stream by Sony, lasting between 35 and 40 minutes. You need no tickets, no elaborate arrangement and all you have to do is be there when the counter reaches zero and see what PlayStation playing would bring next.

Whether you are already a PS5 owner and you want to know your next purchase or you are simply interested in knowing what all those countdown posts are about, now you know.

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