In a new PS5 launch ad, Sony revealed updated launch windows for several of its most anticipated games.
In the midst of graphically stunning gameplay footage, Sony threw in a tiny footnote that Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Gran Turismo 7 and Returnal are expected to launch in ‘first half 2021,’ while Horizon Forbidden West is ‘anticipated’ to arrive in ‘second half 2021.’
We already knew the Horizon sequel would not be a launch title, but this video dashed our scant hopes that it would arrive in early 2021. Forbidden West continues the story of Horizon Zero Dawn‘s Aloy, who must uncover more secrets of the past to save humanity from extinction (again).
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The limited launch library of PS5 games was one of the few negatives in our otherwise glowing review of the PS5 console. Add in limited backwards compatibility compared to the Xbox Series X, and you’ll have players eagerly waiting for any new game to come out.
We know that Ratchet & Clank, when it arrives in early 2021, will take full advantage of the PS5’s next-gen SSD loading times. Marcus Smith, creative director at Insomniac Games, said in an interview that “the SSD and custom I/O architecture around it allows us to send players across dimensions with near-instant speed. It fundamentally changes the rules and allows us to think about ideas and game designs that are only possible on PS5.’
Similarly, Gran Turismo 7 will reportedly make full use of the PS5 DualSense controller and its improved haptic feedback and adaptive triggers for more realistic racing conditions.
As for the less-known Returnal, we’re intrigued by its third-person shooter/rogue-like hybrid gameplay and Live Die Repeat premise — you’re stuck on an alien planet that transforms each time you die.
We can only hope that all of these games come out in the early months of ‘first half 2021’ and ‘second half 2021,’ and that Sony gives us more specific dates soon.