The PS5 is currently on its way to a fall 2020 release, meaning new next-gen games should start to appear more. One would expect Sony to be primarily focusing on its upcoming console (which it is, behind the scenes), but the PS4 is getting one of the biggest swan songs in console gaming history with some of the most highly anticipated exclusives of its generation. Most notably, The Last of Us 2 will be closing out the PS4 generation just as The Last of Us did for the PS3.
Details on the PS5’s launch are still a little scarce so the latter half of 2020 is more on the empty side for Sony as of now, but that could obviously all change with a PS5 reveal event. The first half of the year is going to be huge for the PS4 though, as it’s getting (and has gotten) a big exclusive title every month until June. In February, Sega’s Yakuza 5 and Sony’s own Dreams (by Media Molecule) launched on the PS4, but the games that most people have their eyes on start to come out in March.
Although it's not an exclusive game, people are hyped for Doom Eternal which launches on March 20. Actually, there are a few major multi-platform games coming to the PS4 in 2020, such as Doom Eternal, Resident Evil 3, Marvel's Avengers, etc., but the fact that there are a bunch of big exclusives coming out alongside these multi-platform games in the PS4's final year is just staggering.
PS4 in March
There are a lot of big March 2020 games coming out for PS4 (and other platforms in general too), and with that many games, there really is something for everybody. The biggest PS4 exclusive of the month is Persona 5 Royal, a definitive edition of the original 2016 Persona 5 with extra story content that comes out at the end of the month. Sony is also putting out MLB The Show 20, an annual series that consistently ranks as having one of the best sports games every year.
Otherwise, Granblue Fantasy Versus was a big title for fans of the BlazBlue series of fighting games, and Koei Tecmo’s Nioh 2 will be coming out on PS4 this month as well.
PS4 in April
On April 10, Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 7 Remake will hit the PS4 and finally fulfill the long-standing request for a remake of the 1997 classic. Sony has exclusivity rights on the game for a full calendar year, meaning PC, Xbox, and potentially Switch fans will unfortunately have to wait until around the same time in 2021. As it stands, though, FF7 Remake is one of the biggest games this year on the PS4 (and there’s a FF7 Remake demo available now).
The game revamps the combat of the original by having the player take a more active role in battles compared to the turn-based nature of the 1997 game. Whether this revamp puts people off or not, everyone can agree that Cloud and company look really cool on today’s machines.
PS4 in May
The Last of Us 2 comes out on PS4 at the end of May and is arguably the most anticipated game on PS4 in 2020. 2013’s The Last of Us is still regarded as being a shining example of a game with a compelling story, and Naughty Dog is aiming to recapture that end-of-the-generation hype once again with TLoU 2 when it releases later this year. Furthermore, TLoU is also often considered to be the PS3’s best game, so TLoU 2 has some big shoes to fill. The ending of TLoU caused many online discussions when the game first came out so it’ll be interesting to see what direction the sequel takes the series into.
Although not as big as The Last of Us 2, Iron Man VR also comes out in May after it was delayed earlier this year. The game has the player flying around as Iron Man in first-person camera and is likely to be a memorable PSVR title.
PS4 in June
Naughty Dog closed out the PS3 generation with The Last of Us and is intending on doing the same with The Last of Us 2 on PS4, while Sucker Punch began the PS4 generation with Infamous Second Son. After helping launch the console, Sucker Punch is now helping send it off with the launch of Ghost of Tsushima at the end of June. The game takes place during the Mongol invasion of Japan during the 1270s and has the player take the role of Jin, a master samurai.
There are a good number of PS4 exclusives coming in 2020, which is surprising considering the scheduled fall 2020 launch of the PS5. The PS4’s 3 big action exclusives - FF7 Remake, The Last of Us 2, and Ghost of Tsushima - are going to give the PS4 one great final year.