PlayStation State of Play September 2026: When a Controller Is the Biggest Reveal

PlayStation had a lot to show on September 3, with two State of Play presentations back-to-back and more than 30 games revealed, updated or showcased.

But the two shows had different focuses. The first covered major PlayStation and third-party releases from around the world, while State of Play Japan focused on games from Japanese and Asian developers.

When the GTA VI controller becomes one of the biggest highlights of the night, you know something is missing. Here's our take on PlayStation's latest State of Play and State of Play Japan.

State of Play

The main presentation featured plenty of familiar names, including Final Fantasy VII Revelation, Marvel's Wolverine, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, Metro 2039 and Until Dawn 2.

The problem is that most of the biggest games had already been revealed before the event. Today's presentation therefore had less potential for surprise and impact. Instead of discovering something completely unexpected, players mostly got new trailers, release dates and updates for games they already knew were coming.

And then there was Grand Theft Auto VI.

The game itself didn't receive a major new reveal. Instead, PlayStation announced two limited-edition GTA VI DualSense controllers, launching on November 19.

And honestly, when the most exciting announcement of a State of Play is a controller, you probably don't need to say much more.

State of Play Japan

The second presentation shifted the focus towards Japanese and Asian games, with announcements including Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3, Gundam Rogue Orbit, Ghost of Yotei, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World and Fate/Extra Record.

Once again, there were plenty of games, but the major part of them had already been announced.

For fans of Japanese games, there was certainly plenty to look forward to. But in terms of major surprises, the presentation was once again fairly quiet.

More Games, Less Impact

The issue isn't that the games shown were bad. Many of them look promising.

It's simply that the biggest games were already known, which naturally made the event feel less important.

A State of Play is at its best when it delivers something nobody expected or that is highly anticipated, whether it’s the reveal of a new game, a first look at gameplay, or even the announcement of a release date for a game from a major PlayStation studio. 

This time, there was little of that. More than 30 games may sound impressive, but quantity doesn't necessarily create excitement.

There were trailers, updates and release dates, but no huge announcement that completely changed the conversation.

So, was it a bad State of Play?

Not necessarily.

Was it an exciting one?

Not really.

And when the GTA VI controller is arguably the most memorable reveal of the night, that probably tells you everything you need to know.

More than 30 games were showcased, but quantity isn't everything. With the biggest titles already known, PlayStation struggled to deliver the big surprise this State of Play needed.

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