Sony announced via the official PlayStation Twitter account that it is postponing the planned PlayStation 5 event. The event, which was scheduled for June 4, was going to be a showcase of gameplay from upcoming indie and Tiple-A games that will be releasing on the PlayStation 5. In the tweet, Sony mentions that it does not feel that it is the correct time to focus on the upcoming console and that they would prefer to “stand back and allow more important voices to be heard.”

The delay is a response to the ongoing unrest and protests that are occurring in America after the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, while he was detained by four members of the Minneapolis police department. In disturbing footage that appeared online, officers knelt on Mr. Floyd, including one kneeling on his neck. Floyd eventually lost consciousness and was later confirmed to have died.

Protests driven by the increasing hurt and despair that people feel about the treatment of the black community in America at the hands of police have, in some places, become violent, with over 40 American cities imposing a curfew or deploying the National Guard.

No matter how much we were looking forward to the event, a delay is appropriate. At the moment, no future date has been set for the event.