It was recently announced that Sony will be holding a PS5 event on June 4th. Given that they emphasised an hour of games in the announcement I think it’s safe to assume we won’t see the box itself. I also wouldn’t expect a firm release date or locked in price as it appears from the outside looking in that they are locked in a game of chicken with Microsoft over who will show their hand first.
So the question is, what games are we likely to see? With the event set to last around an hour you have to imagine we’re going to see a fair amount of games. Below I have made a list of what I think we might see and a short explanation as to why.
Horizon Zero Dawn Sequel – It has been reported multiple times that the sequel to Guerrilla Games 2017 smash hit was originally slated to appear on PS4. That suggests that development must be at a pretty advanced stage. I’m not convinced it will be launched day and date with the console (if the PS5 does indeed launch this holiday), but I do think it will be shown at this event and be available within the first six months of the new generation.
Spider-Man 2 – I expect we will see confirmation that this is coming. I doubt we will get as much info as with the follow up to Horizon Zero Dawn, but I’m expecting a release window of Holiday 2021 so the timing feels right to show us the first details.
God of War – Pretty much the same as Spider-Man, I don’t think this will be a launch title or even within the launch window, but I do think it’s a strong candidate to be unveiled. My best guess is this game will launch early 2022, but Sony have plenty of previous for showing games years before release and if they want to make a splash with this event, you have to throw some big fish in the water.
Ratchet & Clank – For the last year I have heard rumours that Insomniac are hard at work on a follow up to this excellent 2016 reboot. This feels like an ideal game to have at launch and will attract an audience young and old. The last game looked like a Pixar film and this feels like a great title to show off what the PS5 can do in terms of animated graphics.
Demon’s Souls – I know nothing about the franchise. I only bring it up here because there has been chatter about Bluepoint Games doing a PS5 remaster for ages. In-fact the talk around this game has been going on so long that I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s done already and just waiting for launch.
New Uncharted – Another rumour circulating in recent months is that another Uncharted game is in the works, but at a new Sony studio rather than Naughty Dog. No word on if it will be another Nathan Drake adventure or another off-shoot like Lost Legacy. The unsubstantiated claims also point to a 2021 release date, which could be as real or fake as the actual game.
Batman Court of Owls – I feel like I have predicted this god damn game showing up at every event for about three years at this point. Surely it has to be shown soon though. Right? RIGHT?! I had expected the game to be more aligned to Xbox, but given they never showed it at their third party event a few weeks ago, perhaps not. We need more of that Rocksteady Batman goodness in our lives and my body is ready. Make. It. Happen.
Aside from these first party games, I expect we will see footage from the likes of Outriders and Godfall which have already been announced. There is also the distinct possibility that the new Call of Duty is shown, as they have shown allegiance to Sony in recent years. Assassins Creed Valhalla, Watch Dogs Legion, and EA Sports fall titles could also be shown, but it’s hard to know which will hold off to present either under the Xbox banner or on their own.
Lastly I think we will see a short montage of all the games as a service that are porting over. The likes of Fortnite, Rainbow Six Siege, Warframe, Destiny and more. It makes sense to highlight that these games so many people rely on will be making the jump with them.
Well that’s it. That’s what I think we may see. I left out the likes of Dying Light 2 as the developer recently remained adamant it would release on PS4 and this event is supposed to be next gen only as far as I am aware. Anyway, do you have any thoughts on what Sony have in store for us this Thursday? Reach out to me on Twitter @VizualDze and let me know! Also check my pinned tweet for a chance to win a copy of The Last of Us Part II.
-VDZE ✌️