Console gaming is often defined by the exclusive titles available on Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms. For PlayStation fans, this has included some of the games with the most accolaids to release over the last half-decade. In 2021 this list grew with major titles like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Deathloop as PS5 exclusives. Going into 2022, PlayStation is building another year full of highly anticipated video games for players to enjoy before titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 release in 2023.
This includes a number of new IPs as well as additions to fan-favorite franchises. While Xbox has been able to wrap up 2021 with a bang thanks to all the games on Xbox Game Pass in December, including the day-one release of Halo Infinite, PlayStation has loaded its plate. Some of the biggest titles announced during the latest State of Play are still a while away, but there are plenty of other games for PlayStation loyalists to look forward to throughout 2022.
PlayStation Exclusive Release Dates
Since there’s still some time before major announcements will be made regarding a lot of games currently set to release in 2022, the immediate list of exclusive titles isn’t too long. However, trailers featuring content like Horizon Forbidden West’s new machine enemies have drawn fans in as that game prepares for a dual release on PS4 and PS5 in February 2022. Accompanying Horizon in the first half of the year are several high-profile titles with console exclusivity on PlayStation devices:
- Wanderer – January 27, 2022 – PSVR exclusive alongside PC
- Sifu — February 8, 2022 – PS4 and PS5 console exclusive alongside PC
- Horizon Forbidden West — February 18, 2022. PS4 and PS5 console exclusive
- Babylon's Fall — March 3, 2022 – PS4 and PS5 console exclusive alongside PC
- Gran Turismo 7 — March 4, 2022. PS4 and PS5 console exclusive
- Forspoken — May 25, 2022 – PS5 console exclusive alongside PC
While each of these games will bring their own strengths, Babylon’s Fall and Forspoken could easily dominate the time between Horizon Forbidden West and the end of the year. Many of the games published by Square Enix build up dedicated fanbases, with some series lasting years and including installments across different genres. Not every IP can be as successful as the Kingdom Hearts franchise, but Forspoken and Babylon’s Fall could become major incentives for sticking with PlayStation systems.
On top of this, Sifu will need multiple runs for players to understand the game’s narrative, offering a story-rich option that breaks from the larger-than-life worlds of Babylon’s Fall, Forspoken, and Horizon Forbidden West. Sifu’s art style also brings a different aesthetic when looking over the releases confirmed for early to mid-2022, full of contrasting warm and cool colors.
Other Confirmed PlayStation Exclusives in 2022
The rest of 2022 should be filled with new releases as well, but a lot of PlayStation console exclusives still only have confirmed release windows. This includes titles like Moss: Book 2 on PSVR and the highly anticipated sequel to the most recent God of War, God of War: Ragnarok.
The upcoming release of Horizon Forbidden West earlier in the year likely means the next God of War game could make an appearance late in 2022. If true, this would help keep fans engaged on PlayStation systems and give two of PlayStation’s biggest games room to breath. By contrast, other titles like Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt have been fairly open about when to expect full releases, and fans can anticipate more concise windows moving forward.
- Asterigos – PS4 and PS5 console exclusive alongside PC
- Anno: Mutationem – PS4 and PS5 console exclusive alongside PC
- Deathverse: Let It Die – PS4 and PS5 console exclusive
- GhostWire: Tokyo — PS5 console exclusive alongside PC
- God of War: Ragnarok — PS4 and PS5 console exclusive
- Goodbye Volcano High — PS4 and PS5 console exclusive alongside PC
- Granblue Fantasy: Relink — PS4 and PS5 console exclusive alongside PC
- Moss: Book 2 – spring 2022 – PSVR exclusive
- Salt and Sacrifice – PS4 and PS5 console exclusive alongside PC
- Stray — PS4 and PS5 console exclusive alongside PC
- Tchia — PS4 and PS5 console exclusive alongside PC
- Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodhunt — spring 2022 – PS4 and PS5 console exclusive alongside PC
- Zenith – early 2022 – PSVR exclusive alongside PC
Rumored PlayStation Games
The growing 2022 release list for PlayStation exclusives also includes speculation surrounding Final Fantasy 16 and Lost Soul Aside. Lost Soul Aside showed off beautiful graphics and fluid gameplay with the announcement that it would be on PS5 as well as PS4 and PC, but a specific release date is still unconfirmed. Lost Soul Aside is expected to come out sometime in 2022, but no concrete release date has officially been set.
Final Fantasy 16 is in a similar situation, but a lot of fans think it will release on June 16, 2022. This would put the next installment in the Final Fantasy franchise just under six months away, setting up another strong summer for PlayStation fans. While midway through the year might be ambitious, it has been said the game is very near completion, making it possible that only months after Final Fantasy 14 Endwalker's impressed users, the series' next major title could be released.
Even if neither of these games appear in the first half of 2022, PlayStation systems will have a lot to offer fans from small and large studios alike. Stylized graphics, massive open worlds, and gripping stories should help to deliver a memorable 2022. There’s a lot of competition from IPs that aren’t coming to PlayStation, such as the release of Bethesda’s Starfield, but there’s just as much for fans to look forward to if they prefer the Sony brand.