Sony is finally ready to share some much-needed PS5 updates at its PlayStation Showcase 2021 event, which takes place today, September 9, 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET / 9 PM BST / 6 AM ACT. You can tune in via Sony’s official PlayStation YouTube and Twitch pages, and we’ll be keeping you up to date with all the announcements here on TechRadar.
But what can we expect to see at the PlayStation Showcase 2021 – and more importantly, what do we want to see? The show is due to last 40 minutes, which is plenty of time for Sony to deliver some exciting reveals and provide more insight on titles like God of War: Ragnarok and Gran Turismo 7.
Typically, with any event, there are more than a few rumors and rumblings that something big could be announced during the PlayStation Showcase 2021. We’ll touch on some of those here, but we’re keeping our expectations in check. Here’s everything we want to see at the PlayStation Showcase 2021.
Horizon Forbidden West
After drawing controversy over the game’s lack of a free upgrade path for PlayStation 5 – something which it later reverted – Sony will be hoping to showcase Horizon Forbidden West in a much better light.
And that, in all honesty, should be relatively easy to achieve. A new trailer that reconfirms the game’s February 18, 2021 release date and teases what’s to come will change the conversation around the game’s pre-order fiasco to something far more positive. Aloy’s next adventure certainly looks like it’s going to be stunning, from what we’ve seen at least, so we expect to see another look at Guerilla Games’ upcoming open-world epic.
God of War: Ragnarok
The next God of War game, which still doesn’t have an official title, was teased back in September 2020. Though it was widely expected to launch this year, Sony announced that the game has slipped to 2022 and will also come to PS4. We’re confident that the next God of War game will be shown off, then, and could be the closer for the event.
Kratos and Atreus’s adventures in Norse mythology are far from finished, and if Sony Santa Monica’s sequel can make even half the impressive on players that the God of War 2018 reboot did, we’re in for a real treat. If some gameplay is shown, expect to see axes, a beard, bulging muscles, and more than a few gruesome kills. Oh, and we’d love to get a release date to pencil in the calendar.
Gran Turismo 7
Sony’s premier racing sim, Gran Turismo 7, is expected to arrive sometime in 2022 and will be coming to PS5 and PS4, despite being initially positioned as a PlayStation 5 exclusive. The game is set to take full advantage of ray tracing to offer realistic reflections and lighting, which should make Gran Turismo’s already near-photorealistic cars look even more convincing.
Apart from a few glimpses of the game in action, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Sony provide a deeper dive into what players can expect of developer Polyphony Digital’s next entry in the Gran Turismo series. We’re hopeful of getting a firm release date, too.
Naughty Dog’s multiplayer title
We’re yet to see any PS5 games from Naughty Dog as of yet, even though it’s arguably one of the most respected PlayStation developers. The studio apparently has multiple projects in the works, but we’re betting that it’s Naughty Dog’s multiplayer title that will be revealed during the PlayStation Showcase 2021.
Unlike Microsoft, which has a number of games that cater to online players primarily (Sea of Thieves, Halo, Forza, Gears), Sony’s focus on creative compelling single-player narrative-driven games has left it a touch short in this department. Naughty Dog’s multiplayer project could change that, and with such an esteemed studio behind it, any new IP that’s announced will benefit from the goodwill Naughty Dog’s created.
Grand Theft Auto 5 Enhanced Edition
It may be over eight years old and about to make its third console debut, but GTA 5 is still a big deal. It continues to sell millions of units every year, and its online component, GTA Online, shows no sign of waning in popularity anytime soon.
While many might be waiting for GTA 6, which could still be many years away, we wouldn’t be too shocked to see Sony give Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 5 Enhanced Edition a brief spotlight. A new trailer that shows how the game is being specifically optimized for PS5 would be welcome, as little is known at this stage even though the game is set for a November 11 release date.
Metal Gear Solid remake
A pipe dream for some, but rumors of a Metal Gear Solid remake have been doing the rounds for quite some time. While it’s difficult to predict with any degree of certainty that Solid Snake will make a glorious comeback on PS5, particularly now that PlayStation’s golden child Hideo Kojima is no longer associated with Konami, who still own the rights, we can’t rule it out.
Even the original voice of Solid Snake, David Hayter, believes a remake could be in the works for current-gen consoles. In a discussion with YouTuber Dan Allen, Hayter said: “I only had some confirmation that it might not be a rumor a couple of days ago, and even that was still a rumor… but now it’s an industry rumor, so that tends to be a little more accurate.”
Though we’d absolutely love to see it happen, there’s a lot of pieces that need to come together for a Metal Gear Solid remake to be realized. One can hope, though.
PSVR 2
Unfortunately for fans of virtual reality, Sony has already ruled out any PSVR 2 announcements at the PlayStation Showcase. In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Sony said: “PlayStation’s next generation of VR won’t make an appearance this time. But there will still be plenty of great PS5 games from developers large and small.”
We’re expecting to hear more about PSVR 2 in the new year, and have already made a prediction on what the PSVR 2 headset could look like.
Remember, we’ll be keeping you up to date with all the announcements at Sony’s PlayStation Showcase 2021, so keep it locked to TechRadar.
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