What makes the next generation of consoles such an exciting prospect is the promise of new experiences. Whether that's new ways to play games, or more exciting ways to engage with others online, the next-gen consoles usher in a new era in the games industry. But what can determine a new console's early success and subsequent growth, is its slate of launch games. Whether it's games that lean heavily into hardware gimmicks, show off some of the latest visual leaps forward with the new consoles, or are just glorified tech-demos to show off on your television screen--historically, the launch lineups show a little bit of everything for a new console.
With the coming arrival of PS5 and Xbox Series X in the next few months, we're taking a look back at previous launch lineups for current and past generation consoles, and how the next-gen is stacking up--so far at least. We're still in the dark about what to expect from the console's launch window, which is usually the first few months after its release on the market. Below, we've only included games that will launch with the new consoles and shortly after, along with a quick rundown of each console's launch's history, including where it went right and where it went wrong. Expect some updates for this feature in the future when either Sony or Microsoft make more announcements about their next-gen plans this fall.
PlayStation 5: Holiday 2020
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, developed by Insomniac Games
On August 20, Sony Interactive Entertainment senior vice president Eric Lampel said in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz that the PS5 launch is "the best lineup that we've ever seen in the history of PlayStation, between our Worldwide Studios groups and our partners from all the different publishers around the world." It's certainly a bold claim. Generally speaking, PlayStation has had solid launch lineups for its newest consoles. But in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, which saw much of the games industry shift plans en masse, Sony has been keeping things close to the vest.
