After over a year of teases and small updates, Sony finally had their big reveal for the PS5, showing off the console itself along with over a dozen upcoming games. It was an impressive showing by any regard and marked the return of a few prolific PlayStation series like Gran Turismo and Ratchet & Clank.
However, the PS5 reveal wasn’t just an assembly line of big PlayStation franchises, as the show debuted a surprising amount of new IPs and third-party games. Clocking in at just over an hour the presentation had a lot to show, but it was clear that Sony was taking a different approach this time.
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In every way, Sony has emphasized PS5 as a big leap in terms of technology, but also gaming in general. The PS5 reveal only highlights that intent even more and shows Sony wants to encourage diversity in its lineup. Here’s why the PS5 reveal showed so many new IPs.
The PS5 Showcase Was All About Diversity
As exciting as new technology is, software is the bread-and-butter of any game console, and the PS5 will live or die depending on its games. Of the 26 games revealed during the show, 14 of them were brand new IPs, although games like Ghostwire Tokyo and Deathloop had been previously announced. The reason behind this is Sony showing the diversity of software coming to PS5, and shining a spotlight on how the console will be the place for games of all shapes and sizes. The presentation was bookended by the core series of Spider-Man and Horizon, but Sony left the bulk of the show to smaller developers or third-parties.
In many cases, these games were the highlights, like the wonderfully imaginative Kena: Bridge of Spirits or the now-famous cat-with-a-backpack game Stray. Compare this presentation to the one Microsoft held earlier in the year, which showcased a lot of shooters and action games. That’s Microsoft’s specialty, and they do a good job at it, but Sony wants to make sure its fans know what the PS5 will be focused on. Of course, many of the games shown off will also be coming to Xbox Series X, but they’ll still have that PlayStation association because they were announced at a PS5 event. Sony wants diverse and wildly different experiences on its platform, and what better way to show that than showcasing a handful of brand new games that players don’t have any preconceived notions about.
Sony wants to convince fans that the PS5 is a leap forward for gaming, it’s something new and exciting. That’s why it’s showcasing so many new IPs, to hammer home that idea of the PS5 being new and exciting.
PS5 launches Holiday 2020.