With the recent release of the God of War PlayStation 5 optimization patch, Sony has proven that it's not yet done with updating classic PlayStation 4 games for its newest generation of consoles. So far, God of War, Days Gone, and Ghost of Tsushima are the biggest of the publisher's titles that have been updated to take advantage of the power of the PlayStation 5, while Marvel's Spider-Man received a full remaster. These include faster loading times, 4K output, and 60 frames-per-second gameplay.
Other publishers have also updated classic PlayStation 4 titles to perform better on PlayStation 5, including Bungie with Destiny 2, 2K Games with Borderlands 3, WB Games with Mortal Kombat 11, and more. Despite this, there are still hundreds of games trapped on the PlayStation 4 with 30 frame-rate caps and sub-4K resolutions that could benefit from full PlayStation 5 upgrades.
The Last of Us 2
While The Last of Us Part 2 already received a PlayStation 5-targeted update that added DualSense support to the game, adding enhanced rumble support to each of the game's guns, the update did not target the game's performance at all. Despite being one of the PlayStation 4's best looking games, The Last of Us Part 2 is barely scratching the surface of what the PS5 is capable of.
There have been multiple rumors regarding what Naughty Dog and Sony plan to do with the PlayStation 5 version of The Last of Us Part 2, with many assuming that there will be a fully remastered release similar to The Last of Us Remastered on PlayStation 4. However, having to buy the game again only one year after the PS4 release would leave many fans disappointed given the PS5's backwards compatibility capabilities. The safest bet here would be to assume that Naughty Dog and Sony will provide an update for The Last of Us Part 2 that will allow the PS4 version to perform at 4K, with 60 frames-per-second performance.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
This is yet another 2020 title that has been heavily requested by fans to receive a PS5-targeted patch. While Final Fantasy 7 Remake is undoubtedly one of the PS4's best looking games, the issue is that the game was hindered by the limitations of Unreal Engine 4 and its compatibility on PS4 hardware. While the game's textures are incredibly high quality, the game outputs them at a lower resolution, meaning that some areas in the game can look rather unflattering.
While the game performs at a stable frame-rate and shuffles between 1620p and 1080p on PS4 Pro, lifting the resolution and frame-rate cap on PS5 would see Final Fantasy 7 Remake perform at a full 4K with 60 frames-per-second, which would make the game's action-heavy combat an absolute dream to control. Combine that with improved visuals, many of the game's eager fans would be ready to jump back into Midgar at a moment's notice. It appears that Square Enix is gearing up for some sort of announcement of a PS5 version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Since the game's exclusivity agreement is up in April, this seems inevitable.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Finally, one of the PlayStation 4 generation's biggest successes, Red Dead Redemption 2, has yet to receive any PlayStation 5 enhancements. While developer Rockstar is nearly impossible to predict, the developer has already announced that it is currently developing full PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of Grand Theft Auto 5, which are scheduled to release in late 2021. This has led fans to wonder if Rockstar is planning on sharing the love with its most recent game, Red Dead Redemption 2.
Despite releasing in October 2018, Red Dead Redemption 2 is still one of the greatest looking open-world games made in recent years, challenging even some of the PS5's titles in terms of visual quality. Red Dead Redemption 2 never ran at a native 4K on PS4 Pro, and stuck confidently to its 30fps cap; however, a PS5 patch could free this up to offer a consistent 60fps for smoother inputs (which has been a major criticism with the game since launch) and the most crisp image for 4K displays. The game's PC version has proven it's one of the finest looking games at 4K/60fps and all the PS5 version needs is just an extra push from Rockstar, especially for those still dedicated to Red Dead Online.