Coming to the end of 2022, the future of Sony and PlayStation is something of a mystery. Horizon Forbidden West has some DLC and a VR companion game coming up, and the PlayStation VR2 will launch early in 2023. However, apart from a couple shows, the next year of first-party PlayStation releases is largely unknown. Sony held back on State of Plays and a PlayStation Showcase this year, devoting most of its State of Play broadcasts to third-party titles. While there are definitely some strong third-party efforts coming to the PlayStation 5, especially from Square Enix, there are many more rumors and uncertainties plaguing the major publisher's lineup right now.
Out of Sony's many studios, including Naughty Dog, Santa Monica Studio, Bend Studio, Sucker Punch, and the recently acquired Bluepoint Games, the one with the best-known upcoming slate is probably Insomniac Games. This powerhouse game developer created the original Spyro the Dragon trilogy and the Ratchet & Clank series. Having been acquired by Sony in 2019 after being mistaken as part of the company for most of its life, Insomniac Games is one of the publisher's most prestigious studios right now. Having been entrusted with the highly acclaimed and massively popular Marvel's Spider-Man series, things are looking good for Insomniac Games heading into 2023.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Marvel’s Wolverine
Fans already know one thing coming from Insomniac at the end of 2023. First stated by a writer on the game and then confirmed in a holiday greeting from the studio itself, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will release in Fall 2023. Very little is known about the game so far, other than the fact that Peter, Miles, Kraven the Hunter, and Venom will feature. After how good the last two games have been, it's a no-brainer that fans are looking forward to this release. More information should be doled out throughout the year, with major trailers appearing at Sony's news events and the game getting a strong push during E3 2023.
The friendly neighborhood Spider-Man may not be the only Marvel hero appearing at Sony's shows. Insomniac has proved itself to the point that it's been entrusted with a Wolverine game as well. Video games focused on the clawed X-Man have been hit or miss, but many expect to see Marvel's Wolverine get the same star treatment that Insomniac gave Marvel's Spider-Man. The chances of Marvel's Wolverine actually releasing in 2023 are low, but the game could get a trailer at Sony's E3 showing or a late summer PlayStation Showcase. Either way, it's going to be the studio's focus once Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is out the door.
PC Ports
While they're waiting, Spider-Man fans can try out the existing two games on PS4, PS5, or on PC. Patches will likely continue to release for both Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales over the next few months, and new costumes might even be added. Miles is likely to get a new suit around Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse's June 2023 release, though his Spider-Man 2 incarnation could get it instead. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will probably not come to PC for at least six months, but it and God of War Ragnarok joining Sony's expanding PC initiative feel inevitable.
That brings up another Insomniac game rumored to be getting a PC port. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was found in the old NVIDIA GeForce NOW leaks, which have continuously been proven accurate. Among them, PlayStation-exclusive titles like Returnal, Rift Apart, and several other games were listed. Returnal's PC port has been announced, so Ratchet & Clank and other PS5 launch window games like Demon's Souls may follow it at some point in 2023. It would mark the first Ratchet & Clank with a native PC release, which would be a great milestone for both Insomniac Games and interested PC gamers as a whole.