Sony reveals PlayStation 5 games ahead of holiday release
- An array of new games from various high-profile franchises as well as titles from independent or smaller developers were introduced on Thursday
- Expectations are high for the PlayStation 5, as Sony’s current system has dominated the console gaming market for the past seven years
Sony Corp unveiled the PlayStation 5 game console and an array of new games from a virtual stage on Thursday, showcasing for the first time what its next-generation software will look like ahead of a holiday season showdown against Microsoft Corp’s Xbox.
A new Spider-Man game will be ready for the holidays, alongside the release of the black-and-white home console. Sony will also have a new Gran Turismo racing game, as well as an enhanced version of Take-Two Interactive Software’s bestselling Grand Theft Auto V for the PlayStation 5 next year.
Sony will sell a version of the console without a disc drive, a move that could hasten the transition to digital downloads and cut out retailers like Amazon.com, GameStop Corp and Walmart.
Expectations are high for the PlayStation 5. Sony’s current system has dominated the console gaming market for the past seven years, selling more than 110 million units and overshadowing Microsoft’s efforts with the Xbox. Both companies began talking publicly about their next generation of consoles last year.
Sony disclosed the first details of the PlayStation 5 in interviews with Wired magazine, promising technical improvements that would enable sharper graphics, larger game worlds and reduced load times.
The coronavirus pandemic has complicated what is normally a carefully choreographed process for introducing a new game system. Sony had planned to deliver a lecture on the PlayStation 5’s technical capabilities during the Game Developers Conference in March. When that event was called off, the Japanese hardware maker instead streamed an hour-long video presentation hosted by the PlayStation’s lead architect, Mark Cerny.