So, you managed to get your hands on a PlayStation 5 console. Well done! You’ve achieved what hundreds of thousands of people are still trying to do, and you’ve officially entered the next generation of video gaming. All you need now are some next-generation games to play on your expensive new piece of hardware. Unfortunately, they’re in short supply. Through a combination of pandemic-related delays and what appears to be poor planning in some cases, the PS5 has launched with far fewer console-exclusive games available than any of the previous four Sony consoles. Don’t worry, though. Your money hasn’t been wasted. There is hope on the horizon.
The difficulties that have come with the launch of the PS5, which include a shortage of stock and a lack of games, have opened the door for new competitors like Google Stadia and Amazon Luna. Both of them operate on what insiders call the online slots model of offering games to players. In just the same way as online slots websites cut out the middleman, or game providers like Red Tiger online slots PS5 do the same making games available without the need for a cabinet (or even a physical casino), Google and Amazon streaming-based gaming platforms allow players to play the latest games without needing a console. There was a total revolution in the gambling world when online slots websites became popular, and there may yet be an identical development in the world of video gaming. To see off or delay that threat, Sony needs to get more games to players as quickly as possible.
Here are the forthcoming games that it hopes will assist with that task, all of which will become available during the first half of this year.
Hitman 3
By the time you read this, Hitman 3 should already have been released. There were rumors that the delays in getting copies of the game to reviewers were down to fundamental problems with the game, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. We’ve seen the early reviews, and they’re extremely positive. This is the highest-profile game to launch in January and is likely to sell in big numbers. Any entry in the Hitman series always does. That’s a welcome boost for the PS5, but the drawback is that the game isn’t a PS5 exclusive. It’s also coming out for the PC, the Xbox Series X, and every other major gaming platform. It adds to the somewhat shallow game catalog, but it doesn’t do anything to make the PS5’s offering unique.
Returnal
Whisper this quietly, but Resident Evil 8 might turn out not to be the best horror game you’ll play this year. Returnal might have that badge sewn up before the eighth Resident Evil game even makes an appearance. Very little attention was paid to this game’s development until the very end of 2020, but now it has people extremely excited. Based on previews and information from those in the know, it has all the best elements of a survival horror game fused with science fiction elements and a compelling plot. If all goes well, this could be the beginning of a whole new gaming franchise. Returnal is released on March 21st, and the great news for Sony is that it’s a PS5 exclusive. So long as it’s as good as it appears to be, they could use it as a sales aid.
Deathloop
Deathloop, like several other high-profile games, should have been available on the PlayStation 5 from launch day. That obviously didn’t happen. As has been the case with everything in the past year, the delay has been blamed on the global pandemic. Not everyone’s convinced that’s the real story. Bethesda started working on Deathloop and signed an exclusivity agreement with Sony before Microsoft bought the company. Microsoft theoretically can’t alter the terms of that contract, but it certainly suits Microsoft to play havoc with its biggest rival’s game release schedule. Let’s veer away from conspiracy theories, though. If the horrendously botched release of Cyberpunk 2077 has taught us anything, it’s that we shouldn’t wish for games to be released before they’re ready. The current estimate for the arrival of this assassin-adventure game is May 21st, and we’re led to believe that there’s nothing that will alter that at this late stage.
Back 4 Blood
We’re squeezing Back 4 Blood into this article because it’s slated for a June release, and June was still one of the first six months of the year last time we looked! This isn’t a PS5 exclusive, but it does look likely to be a box office event of a video game. In every way apart from its name, this game is the sequel to Left 4 Dead 2 that so many people have been clamoring for since they finished playing it. It’s not likely to be an especially clever game, and nor would it ever pretend to be. Back 4 Blood is about teaming up with your friends (or strangers) and smashing zombies to pieces in every way imaginable. We’re not saying that it’s going to be the biggest-selling game of the year, but it’ll give PlayStation 5 games sales a shot in the arm right in the middle of the year.
Outriders
We’re a little cautious about confirming this one, but right now, Outriders is still on track to be released on April 1st. Just the fact that April 1st is April Fool’s Day is enough to make us nervous. The release date has changed a few times, and we wouldn’t be totally surprised to see it change again. However, the description of the game, which is being kept under wraps at the moment, gives us reasons to believe that it will be worth holding on for when it does eventually make an appearance. It’s made by Square Enix of Final Fantasy fame, and it’s allegedly a blend of the best bits of Mass Effect and Doom. That’s a bold statement to live up to, and it’s in danger of creating too much hype around a game that very few people have thus far had the opportunity to demo or playtest, but the hype must come from somewhere. Let’s see if this sci-fi thriller has wings.