Well this was certainly a long anticipated event for PlayStation fans as Sony has kept the gaming world waiting a very long time just to see the PlayStation 5 console itself let alone the launch and first year lineup of games for the PS5, but now the wait is over.
Below you will find the news, trailers and my own reaction to the special PlayStation 5: The Future of Gaming event from June 11th 2020!
Event opens with a nice look at the life span of the PlayStation 4 and the big titles of this soon to be “last generation” of PlayStation….which actually felt more like a send off than a celebration by the end of this event.
Strange to see the event open with yet again GTA V and GTA Online somehow getting another remaster for the PlayStation 5 but “Expanded” and with the announcement that appears to show that every PS5 over will get it for free and until then, PS4 owners of GTA V will get $1million per month until enhanced version launches for PS5.
Jim Ryan Pres CEO of Sony PlayStation talking about GTA partnership and a year of talking about the PS5 and now to talk about the games coming to the PS5 leaving us with the go home line of “Have the games do the talking”.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales – Holiday 2020 for PS5
Gran Turismo 7 PS5
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart PS5
Project Athia – PS5 Exclusive
Stray – 2021
A tease now as we look at some spec names for the PS5 but the console is not revealed just yet, but we get another look at the DualSense Wireless PS5 Controller.
Returnal – PS5
A Sackboy Adventure
Destruction Allstars
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Goodbye Volcano High
Oddworld Soulstorm
Ghostwire Tokyo – 2021
Jett: The Farshore
Godfall – PS5 Gameplay
Solar Ash
HITMAN III – Reveal Trailer
Astro’s Playroom
Little Devil Inside
NBA2K21
Bugsnax
Demon Souls
Deathloop
Resident Evil Village
Pragmata Announcement Trailer – 2022 Release
HORIZON II: Forbidden West
Finally to end on….The first look at the PlayStation 5 console itself, in two versions, PS5 with a disc drive and an All digital version
My Thoughts…
Well that was certainly an unmissable build up to the big reveal of the PlayStation 5 console and jumping straight to that, I do like how it looks compared to the Xbox Series X but do feel the Series X design has a very sensible will fit in your room easily whilst the PS5 is definitely a statement almost over designed concept feel to the look and seeing an all digital version as well is a logical option and clearly borrowed from the Xbox All digital option which I expect to see replicated for the Series X either at launch or year one.
But to the games and there are some old faces returning, some expected names mentioned and some very interesting new titles to keep an eye for in the weeks and months leading to the next generation launching. The Miles Morales Spider-Man game feels very much like a spin off game rather than a full sequel to Spider-Man PS4 but great to see him get a full game rather than a side part in the possible sequel. Horizon II: Forbidden West looks incredible, I loved the original so more of this and with the power of the PS5 is going to be incredible.
But, putting on my devils advocate hate for a moment and being impartial, this event did suffer the very same limited showing of actual PS5 gameplay just as the Microsoft Xbox Series X 3rd Party game event last month suffered so we had a lot of snazzy announcement trailers but not actual gameplay or at least, nothing that was identified as being gameplay.
I am also a little worried that they seemed to offer no real answer to Microsoft’s Smart Delivery system for their own 1st party now PlayStation Studios as the logo kept popping up identified, with all titles only showing as being for the PS5 which I appreciate this event is all about the PS5 but as someone very much unlikely to be able to jump to PS5 on launch, there is a real heartbreaking moment to see follow up to PS4 games I loved like Horizon Zero Dawn, Spider-Man: Miles Morales for example, that as of tonight I am expecting not to be able to play unlike over at Xbox with smart delivery, if I can’t make the jump to the Series X I will still be playing HALO Infinite this holiday season on my Xbox One X.
There was also a lack of mentioning or showing of anything PSVR for the PS5, no answer to what is in my opinion, the best value for money gaming subscription in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with maybe a new version of PS Now and with a new generation where the services will matter as much as the exclusive games, Sony PlayStation seem to be either keeping their cards close to their chest or they do not have any answer right now to what Xbox is offering already.
Overall this is still early days for the PS5 and Sony were playing catchup with Microsoft who have been showcasing the Xbox Series X since December 2019. We now know what the console looks like and a good idea of games in the first year of the PS5 but questions remain and whilst many expected a price and release date following yesterday leak of a £599.99 price tag on Amazon UK for the PS5, we are still left with questions.
PlayStation fans have a lot to be excited for and now eyes turn to Xbox in July when the Microsoft Studios will reveal their Xbox Series X games line up and I hope they have as diverse number of games as we were treated to tonight.
The road to Next Generation gaming….has finally fully begun!
