Electronics giant Sony has finally unveiled the much-anticipated successor to the popular PlayStation 4 game console.
On Thursday, the company showed off a sneak peek at its upcoming lineup of titles for its next-generation PlayStation 5 (PS5) console, along with a look at the console itself and some accessories.
The PlayStation 5 will be released in two different models — one that has a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray drive, and a “Digital Edition” with no disc drive at all. It’s unclear if the digital edition will be less expensive, but the two models are otherwise the same. An official price has not announced yet, but prior reports have suggested that the console will cost approximately $500 or $550.
On the software side, the developers unveiled a lineup of games that will define PS5 when it launches this holiday. Grand Theft Auto V started the party, revealing an expanded and enhanced edition due to hit PS5 in 2021.
PlayStation Studios also served up a massive buffet of extraordinary PlayStation 5 game reveals totalling nine titles. It kicked off with Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales — the next chapter in the acclaimed partnership between the legendary studio and Marvel Games and is due out for PS5 this holiday. Insomniac also revealed Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, a galaxy-hopping new PS5 adventure in the fan-favourite Insomniac series.
The PlayStation 4 is the most popular video game console of its generation, having sold more than 100 million units worldwide since November 2013. The PlayStation 5 will compete with the Xbox Series X, Microsoft’s upcoming console, for the affection of gamers throughout the 2020 holiday season.
While new PlayStation and Xbox consoles are just a few months away, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles are selling out amid the coronavirus pandemic and shelter-in-place orders. Reports have indicated that the epidemic could lead Sony to produce fewer PS5 consoles for the initial launch.
INDIES
- Bugsnax from Young Horses
- A whimsical, narrative-driven adventure from the creators of Octodad. Investigate the mysterious Snacktooth Island, home of the legendary half-bug, half-snack creatures.
- Goodbye Volcano High from Ko_op
- A cinematic narrative game that touches on love, friendship, and self-realization in the final days of civilization.
- Jett: The Far Shore from Superbrothers + Pine Scented
- A bittersweet interstellar trip to a mythic oceanic planet in a narrative-driven action adventure, featuring an emotional mix of storytelling and world exploration.
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits from Ember Lab
- A story-driven action adventure game combining exploration and discovery with fast-paced combat.
- Little Devil Inside from Neostream Interactive
- Set in a “Victorian-like” era, embark on dangerous missions to gain evidence and findings for your employer, a mysterious professor.
- Oddworld: Soulstorm from Oddworld Inhabitants
- A major visual and cinematic lead for the celebrated series, with intelligent new gameplay mechanics and twisted new devices to enable explosive deviousness.
- From Oddworld Inhabitants: “Oddworld: Soulstorm’s scope and scale are larger than we have tackled before. We plan to use PS5’s stunning graphic fidelity, mind-blowing 3D audio, and the DualSense controller to enhance our storytelling and artistic abilities to bring you closer to the game and to create an even deeper emotional Oddworld experience…”
- The Pathless from Giant Squid / Annapurna
- The mythic tale of an archer and an eagle in a vast forest who venture to a mystical island to dispel a curse of darkness.
- Stray from BlueTwelve Studio / Annapurna
- A little cat in a futuristic walled city, devoid of life, befriends a sentient drone. The cat must find its way home, and perhaps help the city along the way.
- Solar Ash from Heart Machine / Annapurna
- A journey through a surreal and vivid world filled with mystery, endearing characters, and massive enemy encounters across a vast open world.
THIRD-PARTY GAMES
PlayStation’s third-party partners also brought in some big new PS5 titles.
Let’s take a look:
- Grand Theft Auto V from Rockstar Games
- From Rockstar: “Grand Theft Auto V for PlayStation 5 will feature a range of technical improvements, visual upgrades and performance enhancements to take full advantage of the console’s powerful new hardware, making the game more beautiful and more responsive than ever. Plus, a new standalone version of Grand Theft Auto Online will be also available, free for three months exclusively on PlayStation 5.” (PlayStation Plus required for online multiplayer)
- Ghostwire: Tokyo from Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks
- From Bethesda: “From Shinji Mikami and the team at Tango Gameworks comes Ghostwire: Tokyo, a next-gen action-adventure game coming to consoles exclusively for PlayStation 5 in 2021. Tango Gameworks has taken full advantage of the power of the PS5’s next-gen hardware to create a stunning, immersive, and mysterious world to experience. Explore the streets of a city filled with spirits and mysterious otherworldly threats, with an arsenal of powerful abilities at your command.”
- Godfall from Counterplay Games
- From Counterplay Games: “You are the last of the Valorian knights, god-like warriors able to equip Valorplates, legendary armor sets that transform wielders into unstoppable masters of melee combat. Players will tear through foes as they climb through some of the elemental realms…. We’re still hard at work and can’t wait for players to experience Godfall when it makes its console debut on PS5 and launches on PC this holiday season.”
- Project Athia from Luminous Productions / Square Enix
- “Project Athia is the culmination of our philosophy here at Luminous Productions to create completely new and fresh gaming experiences that fuse together the latest technologies with art. With the PS5, our vision truly comes to life, and with Project Athia players can look forward to being transported to a vast and detailed world filled with beauty and dismay.”
- Hitman 3 from IO Interactive
- From IO Interactive: “Hitman 3 is the dramatic conclusion to the World of Assassination trilogy and will put you back into the shoes (and stylish suit) of Agent 47, a ruthless professional assassin who must take on the most important contracts of his career.”
- NBA 2K21 from 2K Sports
- 2K Sports stopped by to give us an eye-popping first look at pre-alpha PS5 development footage of NBA 2K21.
- Deathloop from Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks
- From Arkane Studios: “With stunning and stylish environments, memorable combat encounters, and the freedom to tackle each mission at any pace and with any approach you choose, this is Arkane like you’ve never seen (or felt) it before, built with next-gen in mind. Deathloop is being developed for a new generation of hardware and will launch on console exclusively for PlayStation 5.”
- Resident Evil Village from Capcom
- From Capcom: “…the fear of dark corners has been replaced with the anxiety of the unknown as Ethan searches for answers within decrepit buildings among snow-covered trees. The return of a first-person perspective will bring a visceral edge to combat… With a greater focus on combat and exploration compared to Resident Evil 7, the village itself is just as important a character as any other, a location with a life of its own that will frequently keep you on edge as you discover its secrets.”
- Pragmata from Capcom
- Capcom also gave us a first look at a thought-provoking PS5 game called Pragmata.