PlayStation is skipping Gamescom again this year

Sony Interactive Entertainment has reportedly decided not to attend Gamescom 2024.In recent years the company has opted to showcase its games through its own digital events, rather than host conferences or have a significant physical presence at major industry conventions like the expo in Cologne, Germany, which comes at a considerable expense.Sony most recently appeared at Gamescom in 2019, which was the last in-person edition of the show before the Covid-19 pandemic.And the PlayStation maker has reportedly told German industry publication Games Wirtschaft that it has no plans to exhibit at Gamescom this summer.Sony recently said it expects PS5 hardware sales to decline during its current year, which runs to March 2025, and confirmed it plans to release no “major existing franchise titles” during this 12-month period.It used a State of Play presentation in May to announce launch dates for 2024 releases including Concord (August 23), Astro Bot (September 6) and the PC version of God of War Ragnarök (September 19).Gamescom 2024 organisers have yet to announce a full exhibitor list for the show, but Nintendo confirmed earlier this year that it won’t be attending this year’s event as an exhibitor either.Gamescom Opening Night Live, the kick-off showcase hosted and produced by Geoff Keighley, will return on August 20, with the main event running from August 21-25.