One question is burning on the lips of many gamers: When will cross-gen PS5 and PS4 games end? According to a recent statement from Sony, this is not yet relevant.
Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios, gave a series of interviews in France and abroad to talk about Sony Interactive Entertainment’s strategy in different areas. In particular, the topic of cross-gen gaming between the PS5 and the PS4 came up on the table. Be careful, the answer will displease those who champion new generation exclusions.
It’s not the end of cross-gen PS5 and PS4 games
In conversation with axiosHermen Hulst confirms what some have feared: there will still be cross-gen games after 2023. While Sony is refusing to drop the 117.2 million PS4 players, releasing titles spanning the two generations will be on a “case-by-case basis”.
Of course we don’t want to forget the millions of active players on PS4 and make sure there are great games for them too. We assess this on a case-by-case basis.
Hermen Hulst, Patron of PlayStation Studios, on Axios.
A statement that goes along the lines of an earlier slide from the company, where the end of first-party PS4 games was predicted closer to 2025. The head of PlayStation Studios does not go into detail, but it may be that the cross-gen titles are partly service games that need a large community to launch.
Between New Gen Exclusions and Optimization
Despite this desire not to cut the cord with the PlayStation 4 just yet, pure and hard PS5 exclusions are already on the manufacturer’s calendar. Two productions by Insomniac Games: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 in 2023 and Marvel’s Wolverine at an unspecified date (but not before 2024). In the case of future The Last of Us 3 and Horizon 3 announcements, we also see them hitting PS4 very poorly.
The PlayStation studios are also striving to optimize their productions as much as possible. Such was the case with Horizon Forbidden West and soon it will be the turn of God of War Ragnarok, which will deliver its ultimate punch on PlayStation 5.
