After four years on the market, thePlayStation 5is easily Sony’s worst console generation. PlayStation is part of the so-called “Big Three” in gaming, a trio of gaming giants comprised of Xbox, Nintendo, and Sony’s very own PlayStation. They ensure the gaming world goes round thanks to new consoles every decade or so, provide online platforms for players to play and connect with each other, and also have their own exclusive titles that define their brands.
PlayStation is arguably one of the most important brands in gaming thanks to how it has pushed the industry forward for decades. The PS2 is the best-selling console of all-time and put developers like Rockstar Games on the map and introduced fans to new franchises likeGod of War. While there were some missteps with the PS3, it still ended up outselling the Xbox 360 by a small margin and laid important foundations for the future with new IPs likeUncharted.Sadly, the PS5 can’t measure up to past generations.
The PS5 Has Lost All Momentum Gained By The PS4
A Lack Of True PS5 Exclusives Is A Problem
The PlayStation 4 had a tremendous amount of momentum behind it. It felt like a magical era for gaming as a whole with incredible exclusives on a regular basis, likeGod of WarandMarvel’s Spider-Man, two generation-defining games that were released six months apart. Even during that gap, there were other exclusives, likeDetroit: Become Human. It was hard to go longer than a few months without some incredible new PS4 game to play. The PS5 has not had that same luck, much to the dismay of its owners.
By the end of 2024, there will have been about 25 first-party exclusives on PS5. Abouthalf of those are also available on PS4 and/or PC, seven of them are remakes/remasters, and one of them was unreleased less than a month after it came out. There are some third-party exclusives as well, such asFinal Fantasy 16(now on PC) andSilent Hill 2(coming to PC on day one), but they could come to Xbox in the future depending on contracts.
PlayStation Celebrates 30 Year Anniversary With The PS5 Of Your Dreams
In celebration of 30 years since the first PlayStation console launched, a 30th anniversary collection is being released, including a nostalgic PS5.
For a brand that was previously defined by its prestigious exclusive games, the PS5 is severely lacking in those must-have games. Games likeGod of War RagnarokandMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, even with their issues, are examples of the kind of premiere titles that would have satisfied fans on the PS4. However, they’re too few and far between now, especially asPS5 is going to go a full year without a massive AAA release. As great asAstro Botis, it’s not the kind of big-budget killer app that pushes people to buy a console.
On top of that, there are reputable rumors that PS4 gamesHorizon Zero DawnandDays Goneare getting “remasters” soon. Both games have already had PC ports in the last four years and play great on PS5 thanks to native patches that optimize them for the hardware. It’s hard to imagine what remasters could even do for these two games, and it just highlights a major problem with the development pipeline. PlayStation is struggling to get new games out the door, so it has to fall back on remastering more recent games to have something to release.
But why would anyone even want to upgrade from a PS4 to a PS5 or get a PS5 in addition to their PC when they’re mostly going to be getting the games they have access to too, but with some extra sparkles on it. If some of PlayStation’s biggest releases in 2024 areThe Last of Us Part II Remastered,Days Gone,Horizon Zero Dawn, andUntil Dawn, why in the world would anyone rush out to purchase a PS5?
For a brand that was previously defined by its prestigious exclusive games, the PS5 is severely lacking in those must-have games.
PlayStation has also released most of the PS5 exclusives on PC now. The only big ones that haven’t been ported over to PC areDemon’s Souls,Marvel’s Spider-Man 2,FF7 Rebirth, andAstro Bot. However, it seems pretty likely that at leastFF7 RebirthandSpider-Man 2will end up on PC along with its predecessors in about a year or so.
This wouldn’t be that big of a deal if Sony was releasing games more frequently on PS5, but if players are going to be stuck waiting years for new games, maybe they should just do that waiting over on PC instead since they’ll end up being ported anyways.
PS5 Has Been Filled With Failures
Not All Exclusives Have Sold Well
On top of a lack of games that demand players buy a PS5, the generation has been filled with some notable failings. This article probably doesn’t need to spend too much time on the ttragedy of Concord, a game that failed to capture any kind of audience whatsoever to the point of being erased from existence in a matter of weeks. However, it is easily one of PlayStation’s must devastating blows this generation, especially after starting to try and carve out a name for itself in the live service genre.
Despite those ambitions, it didn’t stop PlayStation from scrapping a live service game that people actually wanted:The Last of Us Online. Naughty Dog claims it made this choice on its own as it wanted to focus more on single player games, but there were reports of behind the scenes meddling that led to the project stalling out. Both things could be true, but it doesn’t change the fact that fans waited for years to play this game only to have it canceled.
Marvel’s Wolverine Game Is Making A Huge Mistake On PS5
Marvel’s Wolverine looks to be another exciting project by Insomniac Games, but it might be making a huge mistake with its exclusivity on PS5.
Similarly,PlayStation’s investment in Bungie has been messy, to say the least. The developer has laid off tons of staff and is reportedly in a dire state with many worrying that the beloved studio could completely go under with one misfire. If Bungie’s upcoming reboot ofMarathonisn’t a slam dunk, it could lead to one of PlayStation’s biggest studios and costly investments crumbling.
Hardware Hasn’t Helped The PS5 Generation
PSVR 2 Is Great Tech, With Little Support
In terms of hardware, there’s been one really notable disappointment. The PlayStation VR2 is a great piece of tech, but Sony hasn’t been putting in too much effort into supporting it since its release. The headset dropped with a brand-new game in theHorizonfranchise, but there have been no notable first-party efforts since then. Why hasn’t there been anUnchartedorThe Last of UsVR spin-off? Even something like a shortSpider-Manexperience would show that PlayStation is making an effort with VR, but it doesn’t seem to be a priority.
If some of PlayStation’s biggest releases in 2024 areThe Last of Us Part II Remastered,Days Gone,Horizon Zero Dawn, andUntil Dawn, why in the world would anyone rush out to purchase a PS5?
This is particularly frustrating because the PSVR2 cost $550 at launch, even more than the console itself. To ask players to spend that much and then walk away from it is aggravating. Of course, there are plenty of third-party VR games on PSVR2, but this circles back to an earlier point:Why not just get a different VR headset?There are significantly cheaper options for VR gaming and companies like Meta seem to care more about crafting exclusive experiences for their owners. There’s a brand newBatman Arkhamgame coming exclusively to Meta Quest this fall, but there’s been nothing like that for PSVR2 since launch.
In terms of other expensive hardware, PlayStation also recently announced it’s$700 for the PS5 Prowithout a disc drive or vertical stand. While this is obviously an optional upgrade, it feels like a particularly outrageous price when it was being demoed withThe Last of Us Part II, a game that came out in 2020. It would be easier to swallow if Sony could show fans it has a bunch of great new games on the horizon that will take advantage of this hardware, but the gaming giant was unable to do that.
10 PlayStation 4 Games Still Worth Playing Right Now
The PlayStation 4’s era is coming to a close, but there are still many games worth playing for those who’ve yet to obtain a PlayStation 5.
If the games were there, it would be easy to hand wave the PS5 Pro, but it’s just frustrating to see Sony trying to do anexpensive mid-gen hardware refreshwhen it feels like the base PS5 hasn’t even gotten started. Perhaps there will be a major second wind for PlayStation in the second half of the generation withMarvel’s Wolverine, Naughty Dog’s next game, and hopefully,Ghost of Tsushima 2,but it may be too little too late.
There will always be missteps, cancelations, and controversial strategies, but ideally, they will feel like bumps in the road rather than the bulk of the journey. PlayStation used to market itself with the tagline “Greatness Awaits.” It no longer feels like greatness is awaiting players when they hear theirPS5console beep as it powers on. It’s just a vapid home screen. Hopefully, PlayStation can get back to what made itself great.
