Sony's PS4 was the console to own this past generation, with a litany of first-party exclusives that pushed out some of the best games of the generation. Everything from Bloodborne to Ghost of Tsushima helped cement PlayStation's latest console as one of the best-selling gaming systems of all time, and for good reason. Not every game was Game of the Year by any means, but the first-party offerings by PlayStation still encompassed some of the best games. Now, the PS5 is looking to replicate that reputation moving into the next console generation.
Already, there's a solid lineup of exclusive titles slated for the PS5's near future. With games like Spider-Man: Miles Morales coming at launch and Horizon: Forbidden West coming soon after, the next-generation for PlayStation is already shaping up to be awesome. Among all the announced sequels are some of the other major players like Naughty Dog, that wrapped up two of the studio's biggest franchises this generation. Plus any surprise studio acquisitions and indie delights like Concrete Genie that could swing by as well. There's a lot to look forward to for PS5, from established franchises to new directions.
The Obvious Sequels on PS5
Starting with the obvious sequels, it's safe to assume some of the biggest games on the PS4 are going to receive sequels/new entries in the future. In the case of Horizon: Zero Dawn, that's already the case with the announced sequel Forbidden West, slated for release in 2021. There's also the games with cliffhanger endings, of which there were many. Both God of War and Marvel's Spider-Man hinted at forthcoming sequels, both of which seem likely based on the massive success of both. Ratchet & Clank is starting anew after the PS4's remake saw great success in soft-rebooting the franchise. Then there's the recurring franchises on PlayStation like Gran Turismo, despite the fact that the series has been on a short hiatus.
With all of these games, it's safe to assume the scope of each game will be even grander than their predecessors. There's been some inferences of grander ambitions from Horizon: Forbidden West, with the announcement trailer hinting at a much larger and more diverse world in the Horizon universe. Spider-Man is taking a different approach with Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which could potentially serve as an interquel as well as a standalone story with the new hero in Miles Morales. God of War is a bit more nebulous, but from where the narrative seems to be headed, the sequel is going to be far more violent and climactic than its predecessor. Then there's Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, which is seemingly pushing the PS5's SSD technology forward while simultaneously continuing the series.
New Projects from Sony's First-Party Studios
There's also the new stuff presumably on the way, with several studios likely in early development of new projects. Naughty Dog is the big standout, even though the the studio just launched The Last of Us Part 2 at the tail-end of this generation. With both The Last of Us and Uncharted both reaching endpoints in each series, one of PlayStation's largest studios could be preparing for a completely new project. Even though a new entry in Uncharted is not out of the realm of possibility, it's likely further away because the franchise would be starting anew with Nathan Drake's story now over.
There's also several other studios presumably working on new projects. While Days Gone wasn't the worst PlayStation exclusive for PS4, it's very possible SIE Bend Studio is working on a sequel or new project for PS5. Sucker Punch Studios just wrapped on Ghost of Tsushima, and while the studio has its work cut out for them with Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the studio potentially may have flexibility to develop another game like a new Infamous entry. There's also the next smaller project from PixelOpus, a recently acquired indie developer that was responsible for Concrete Genie and Entwined before it.
Room for Surprises on PS5
Lastly are the surprises, meaning any kind of upcoming studio acquisitions or unexpected announcements Sony would make in the near future. As marked by the PS5's "Future of Gaming" reveal event, there are already several promising new projects on the way like the Demon's Souls Remake. There's still quite a few unknowns that fans are hoping for in terms of PS5-exclusive games, like a Bloodborne 2 sequel. Plus any number of the upcoming projects shared during the PS5 reveal could be acquired as exclusive studios in the near future, following in the footsteps of The Initiative and Xbox Game Studios.
Either way, there's a lot of promise from the studios already working exclusively with Sony. While Xbox is still acquiring its footing through new Xbox Game Studios, Microsoft's focus for its gaming powerhouse seems to be focused on improving services like Game Pass and Xbox Live. Meanwhile PlayStation seems to be setting itself up in the same scenario as the PS4 did this generation: premium games on a premium console. Since the games-first mentality was excellent for Sony last generation, the PS5 is certainly shaping up to continue that momentum.
PlayStation 5 launches in holiday 2020.