PS5 Games We Think May Already Be in Development

By Jonathon Dornbush

As next-gen discussion continues to point us toward what we can expect from the PS5 and Next-Xbox, a new report suggests Sony’s first-party efforts are now allegedly focusing mostly on PS5.

Of course, we still have three big, announced first-party games set to come to the PS4, but, if Sony is doubling down on next-gen efforts, could these games be making the jump to next-gen?

We’ve decided to take a look at what first- and third-party games that we already know are in development for the PS4 are likely already in production for the PS5 (possibly cross-gen, or with efforts looking just toward the next generation), even if we’re not necessarily in a rush for Sony’s next-gen console.

The Last of Us Part 2

One of Sony’s three announced PS4 first-party without release windows, The Last of Us Part 2 seems like the most likely candidate for a jump to the PS5. We’ve only seen a small sliver of gameplay, and we know that, as early as this year, Naughty Dog was hiring for a number of positions to work on the design of the anticipated sequel. And, with the weight of expectation behind it, this is one Sony does not want to rush out the door.

The original The Last of Us is still one of the most-celebrated games of last generation, and continues to be a major reference point for the right way to tell a story in a big budget video game.. The sequel is very much one Sony will want to release when it’s ready, rather than one that needs to be rushed out to hit a key launch window.

Ghost of Tsushima

Another of Sony’s announced but dateless first party games, Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima got a full unveiling at E3 2018, but other than that and a previously released teaser trailer, the Infamous developer’s next title is very much shrouded in mystery. It certainly looks to be another game that Sony is willing to show when it’s ready, rather than tout it constantly to the point of oversaturation.

And Ghost of Tsushima certainly looks ambitious. Its E3 showing teased a gorgeous world, one that will probably benefit from whatever technical upgrades and stability come with next-gen hardware. Sucker Punch has largely kept quiet since Infamous Second Son and First Light debuted early in the PS4’s life cycle, and while it would be nice to see the developer come full circle with a late-gen release, Ghost could be an impressive showcase for just how beautiful games can look on the PS5.

And while we are thinking Ghost and The Last of Us Part 2 could make the jump, we think Death Stranding could definitely make its proper home on PS4. Knowing Kojima has shown the game to Guerrilla Games, Guillermo Del Toro expected to see gameplay in 2017/2018, and other various, alleged reports of the game’s progress, we’re going to guess that Hideo Kojima’s latest makes it out before the next PlayStation console.

Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077’s initial E3 showing had nearly everyone assume CD Projekt Red’s layered, dense, and varied open-world adventure would be a next-gen title, but the developer, at the time, said it’s aiming to launch it on current-gen consoles..

Even with that official word coming to us last year, Cyberpunk seems like a great candidate to make the leap to the PS5. Depending on how long CD Projekt Red continues to develop Cyberpunk — and it seems like it’s in no big rush — it may make sense to focus, or indeed, pivot, development to the most powerful hardware. After all, Cyberpunk is in development for PC as well.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

The Final Fantasy 7 Remake is not coming this generation. Even though it was announced in 2015, it’s had a development shake up that’s set the project back. Director Tetsuya Nomura told IGN back at E3 2018 that his focus has been so much on Kingdom Hearts 3 lately, pushing Final Fantasy 7 to the back-burner.

Given all we know about its development, the FF7 Remake is absolutely not coming until at least the PS5. The only question, really, is if it will be pushed to the PS6 (2027 isn’t that far away).

Beyond Good & Evil 2

Ubisoft has been very transparent with the development cycle of Beyond Good & Evil 2 following its E3 2017 announcement. Thanks to live streams and various development updates, we certainly know BG&E2 is progressing, but with its enormous ambition, and a beta aimed for late 2019, a release date before late 2020 seems unlikely. Given that timeframe, our best guesses for when new consoles will be released, and the clear technical endeavors of the cult classic’s sequel, it makes sense to develop on the next generation of consoles.

Nioh 2

Announced with a brief trailer at E3 2018, the Sony exclusive Nioh franchise is set to return at…some point. And with the window closing on the PS4’s lifecycle, why not hold back exclusives that play to a smaller yet dedicated part of the install base to give them the incentive to pick up the PS5? We’ve seen nothing else of Nioh 2 outside of that announcement, and having it among the PS5’s launch library could be an appealing exclusive to lure in new buyers.

Avengers Project

Square Enix and Marvel Games have been extraordinarily quiet about this title that carries with it such massive tie-in potential. While other Marvel Games releases have debuted and been announced (Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, respectively), The Avengers Project is still an unknown quantity.

And if Marvel and Square are willing to give it the time this massive franchise needs, it makes sense to push such a marquee title to next-gen. Not only would that give those consoles a huge, licensed name to work with early on, it gives the game enough distance from the pop culture juggernauts that are Avengers Infinity War and Endgame.

Elder Scrolls VI/Starfield

We already know Bethesda’s ambitious, open-world RPGs are in development for “next-gen” hardware, but wanted to reiterate it. Bethesda’s RPGs will certainly be able to take advantage of next-gen hardware, but it will be interesting to see if Bethesda pushes the size of worlds versus the density of gameplay opportunities within them.

For more on upcoming major games without release dates, check out the gallery below for 12 of the biggest, announced games that we don’t know for sure when they’re coming.

Jonathon Dornbush is IGN’s News Editor, PlayStation lead, and host of IGN’s weekly PlayStation show Beyond! Talk to him about what you hope to play on PS5 and other future space systems on Twitter @jmdornbush.