PS5 showcase recap: Everything you need to know

That’s a wrap! Today was an exciting day for gamers around the world, as the PlayStation 5 showcase granted us our first look at PS5 games under development… and culminated with the reveal of the PS5 system itself.

Actually, two PS5 systems.

At PS5’s launch, we will offer two options: a PlayStation®5 console with an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive and a PlayStation®5 Digital Edition without a disc drive. The PS5 gameplay experience will be the same, so the choice is all yours. While there are some slight differences in the look of each model, for the overall design, we wanted to deliver a console that’s bold, stunning, and unlike any previous generation of PlayStation.

On the software side, the industry’s most talented developers unveiled a lineup of games that will define PS5 when it launches this holiday. Grand Theft Auto V started the party, revealing an expanded and enhanced edition due to hit PS5 in 2021.

PlayStation Studios also served up a massive buffet of extraordinary PlayStation 5 game reveals (read details here) totaling nine titles. It kicked off with Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales — the next chapter in the acclaimed partnership between the legendary studio and Marvel Games and is due out for PS5 this holiday. Insomniac also revealed Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, a galaxy-hopping new PS5 adventure in the fan-favorite Insomniac series.

Our friends at Guerrilla gave us a breathtaking first look at Horizon Forbidden West for PlayStation 5, a gorgeous new adventure set in a distant land ravaged by massive storms. And Polyphony Digital dropped by to unveil Gran Turismo 7 as The Real Driving Simulator prepares for a new generation of PlayStation hardware.

And I know you’re excited about Demon’s Souls, a gorgeous PS5 remake from Bluepoint Games and Japan Studio.

When creating a new console, it’s essential to invite bright, talented independent developers into the process early. And it was inspiring to see such a wide array of innovative new indie titles showcased. Let’s just list them out:

INDIES

Bugsnax from Young Horses
- A whimsical, narrative-driven adventure from the creators of Octodad. Investigate the mysterious Snacktooth Island, home of the legendary half-bug, half-snack creatures.
Goodbye Volcano High from Ko_op
- A cinematic narrative game that touches on love, friendship, and self-realization in the final days of civilization.
Jett: The Far Shore from Superbrothers + Pine Scented
- A bittersweet interstellar trip to a mythic oceanic planet in a narrative-driven action adventure, featuring an emotional mix of storytelling and world exploration.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits from Ember Lab
- A story-driven action adventure game combining exploration and discovery with fast-paced combat.
Little Devil Inside from Neostream Interactive
- Set in a “Victorian-like” era, embark on dangerous missions to gain evidence and findings for your employer, a mysterious professor.
Oddworld: Soulstorm from Oddworld Inhabitants
- A major visual and cinematic lead for the celebrated series, with intelligent new gameplay mechanics and twisted new devices to enable explosive deviousness.
- From Oddworld Inhabitants: “Oddworld: Soulstorm’s scope and scale are larger than we have tackled before. We plan to use PS5’s stunning graphic fidelity, mind-blowing 3D audio, and the DualSense controller to enhance our storytelling and artistic abilities to bring you closer to the game and to create an even deeper emotional Oddworld experience…”
The Pathless from Giant Squid / Annapurna
- The mythic tale of an archer and an eagle in a vast forest who venture to a mystical island to dispel a curse of darkness.
Stray from BlueTwelve Studio / Annapurna
- A little cat in a futuristic walled city, devoid of life, befriends a sentient drone. The cat must find its way home, and perhaps help the city along the way.
Solar Ash from Heart Machine / Annapurna
- A journey through a surreal and vivid world filled with mystery, endearing characters, and massive enemy encounters across a vast open world.

THIRD-PARTY GAMES

PlayStation’s third-party partners also brought in some big new PS5 titles. Let’s take a look:

Grand Theft Auto V from Rockstar Games
- From Rockstar: “Grand Theft Auto V for PlayStation 5 will feature a range of technical improvements, visual upgrades and performance enhancements to take full advantage of the console’s powerful new hardware, making the game more beautiful and more responsive than ever. Plus, a new standalone version of Grand Theft Auto Online will be also available, free for three months exclusively on PlayStation 5.” (PlayStation Plus required for online multiplayer)
Ghostwire: Tokyo from Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks
- From Bethesda: “From Shinji Mikami and the team at Tango Gameworks comes Ghostwire: Tokyo, a next-gen action-adventure game coming to consoles exclusively for PlayStation 5 in 2021. Tango Gameworks has taken full advantage of the power of the PS5’s next-gen hardware to create a stunning, immersive, and mysterious world to experience. Explore the streets of a city filled with spirits and mysterious otherworldly threats, with an arsenal of powerful abilities at your command.”
Godfall from Counterplay Games
- From Counterplay Games: “You are the last of the Valorian knights, god-like warriors able to equip Valorplates, legendary armor sets that transform wielders into unstoppable masters of melee combat. Players will tear through foes as they climb through some of the elemental realms…. We’re still hard at work and can’t wait for players to experience Godfall when it makes its console debut on PS5 and launches on PC this holiday season.”

Project Athia from Luminous Productions / Square Enix
- “Project Athia is the culmination of our philosophy here at Luminous Productions to create completely new and fresh gaming experiences that fuse together the latest technologies with art. With the PS5, our vision truly comes to life, and with Project Athia players can look forward to being transported to a vast and detailed world filled with beauty and dismay.”
Hitman 3 from IO Interactive
- From IO Interactive: “Hitman 3 is the dramatic conclusion to the World of Assassination trilogy and will put you back into the shoes (and stylish suit) of Agent 47, a ruthless professional assassin who must take on the most important contracts of his career.”
NBA 2K21 from 2K Sports
- 2K Sports stopped by to give us an eye-popping first look at pre-alpha PS5 development footage of NBA 2K21.
Deathloop from Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks
- From Arkane Studios: “With stunning and stylish environments, memorable combat encounters, and the freedom to tackle each mission at any pace and with any approach you choose, this is Arkane like you’ve never seen (or felt) it before, built with next-gen in mind. Deathloop is being developed for a new generation of hardware and will launch on console exclusively for PlayStation 5.”
Resident Evil Village from Capcom
- From Capcom: “…the fear of dark corners has been replaced with the anxiety of the unknown as Ethan searches for answers within decrepit buildings among snow-covered trees. The return of a first-person perspective will bring a visceral edge to combat… With a greater focus on combat and exploration compared to Resident Evil 7, the village itself is just as important a character as any other, a location with a life of its own that will frequently keep you on edge as you discover its secrets.”
Pragmata from Capcom
- Capcom also gave us a first look at a thought-provoking PS5 game called Pragmata.

Phew! There’s a lot to look forward to this holiday. From all of us here at PlayStation, thanks for joining us on this PS5 journey. We’re incredibly excited about the next chapter, and we’ll have more details to share about PS5 and the broader PlayStation ecosystem as we close in on launch this holiday.