Sony has come forward with details about the name and release window for the PlayStation 5. Of course, the next question on everyone’s minds is, what games will be available for the upcoming console at launch? Here are a few games we think could potentially become launch titles for the PlayStation 5.
Ports
It’s pretty likely the PS5 will launch with some of the most technically demanding games of the current generation of consoles. They’re going to benefit from the increased power of the PS5. Games like last year’s Red Dead Redemption 2 probably has a pretty good chance of leaping to the next generation. Remember another big Rockstar game, Grand Theft Auto V, originally came out on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 before getting ported over to the next generation not long after its initial launch.
There are other big games, like Cyberpunk 2077, that have the same possibility of making this jump as well. Something with a bigger chance of being ported would likely be remastered versions of first-party games, like The Last of Us Part II. Not long after the PS4 launched, the PS3’s The Last of Us got ported over as The Last of Us Remastered. It was a graphically enhanced version of the game with all of the DLC bundled in. I wouldn’t be surprised if Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II, releasing on Feb. 21, 2020, also gets the remastered treatment for the next console generation.
Some other first-party titles could also get the remastered treatment or get ported over to the PS5. Sony has been showing off the technical differences between the PS5 and the PS4 by using last year’s Marvel’s Spider-Man, so that might get a PS5 port. Death Stranding is a big deal, even before launching, so that could make the jump to PS5. Of course, none of these are for sure happening until we receive confirmation from Sony of the respective development studios. We’ll have to wait and see.
PlayStation 4 Cross-Release
Whenever a new console launches, a good chunk of fans hold on to their older consoles for a while. They might be waiting for the price of the new console to come down a bit before getting it. Due to this, there are often a few games that launch on both the new and older console simultaneously. For those who want the enhanced experience, they can play the game on the PS5. Meanwhile, those who don’t buy the new console right away can still enjoy those games on their PS4.
Some big PS4 games that have yet to receive release dates include Ghost of Tsushima and Dreams. If they don’t receive release dates within the next few months, these titles might launch alongside the PS5 for both PS5 and PS4. However, Dreams has been in public beta for a while now. It will probably launch sooner than later (though we’ve thought that for a while now). Ghost of Tsushima could easily be Sony’s big PS4 exclusive for the summer of 2020. Even if it isn’t these two, there are likely to be some games launching simultaneously on the PS4 and PS5.
New Games
Of course, there will be several entirely new games that haven’t even been announced yet launching alongside the PS5. Some could be sequels, though it’s probably best to not get your hopes up for something like Horizon: Zero Dawn 2 as a launch title. Yearly sports games are usually a pretty safe bet, so games like Madden NFL 21 or NBA 2K21 could be launch titles.
Likely other games are entirely new IPs that no one can predict. Remember Knack? Nobody knew Knack was a thing until it got announced as a launch title for the PS4. A pretty good chunk of PS5 launch titles will be new IPs. The big sequels everyone’s waiting for, like the new God of War and new Spider-Man, are likely going to release later in the console’s life. It’s unlikely they’re going to serve as launch titles for the PS5.
