The year’s end is over the horizon, which means the next gaming year is about to begin. While 2022 has gone out with a god-sized bang thanks to God of War: Ragnarök, 2023 gifted us with some extraordinary games as well. 2023 was huge for PlayStation, stacked with a lineup of exciting releases. Whether you’ve been looking forward to the release of the ultra-customizable DualSense Edge controller, virtual reality adventures with PlayStation VR2, fantastical new IPs like Forspoken, or sequels to iconic titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, 2023 has something for every player. While there’s a ton coming to PlayStation in 2024-2025, this article aims to highlight a handful of the biggest things presented to us in 2023.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Following the events of Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the Spider-duo of Peter Parker and Miles Morales are back in the next blockbuster action chapter of the Marvel’s Spider-Man series. Much is still to be revealed about the game, and going off the quality of the past two titles, we’re bound to be in for a fantastic new original Spider-Man adventure.
Read on for a special message from Insomniac: “What a year it’s been for PlayStation Studios; here at Insomniac Games we’ve been in absolute awe of the work of our peers. ” – Bryan Intihar, Creative Director
Release Date: October 20, 2023 | Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | PS5
Forspoken
If you’ve ever wanted to play a game with endless discovery, magic combat, parkour, and New York charm, then Forspoken should be on your radar. This all-new IP from legendary publisher Square Enix and developer Luminous Productions combines all that and more, placing you in an expansive fantastical world and giving you the moves to travel in style. While early footage of this role-playing game focused mostly on fluid movement, the combat is also no slouch. The main character Frey gains access to various magic spells to use in battle. Earth, fire, and other elemental castings are at her beck and call against the hordes of enemies in the games. You’ll be using these powers in tandem with Frey’s movement ability to take on these threats in a way unique to Forspoken. It’s not all high-speed action, though. When you need to slow down and take a breather, you can delve into the item crafting system or take a quick selfie at a photo spot. As usual in the world of RPGs, Frey can get experience points to level up movement and combat skills further, leading to more gameplay possibilities in Forspoken’s world. Now it’s just up to you to decide what you want to do in this upcoming magical open world adventure.
Release Date: January 24, 2023 | Publisher: Square Enix | PS5
DualSense Edge Wireless Controller
The DualSense Edge wireless controller is the first ultra-customizable controller for PlayStation. It features a suite of unique custom options and settings. Not only can you remap specific button inputs, but for first-person shooter players, it’s possible to adjust stick sensitivity and dead zones. You can also modify the triggers with tailored travel distances and dead zones. If you’re one to share your controller, the DualSense Edge features multiple controller profiles, quick swapping for your control profile, and easily changeable stick caps and back buttons. With the capability this premium controller can provide, all you need to do is find which setting is right for you and get back in the game.
Release Date: January 26, 2023
Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy takes you to the world of the Harry Potter series without the need for a flying broomstick. Set in the 1890s, this action role-playing game developed by Avalanche Software takes the Wizarding World and turns it into a fully interactable open world. With a fully customizable player avatar, you’ll attend Hogwarts, pick your house, and get into trouble in true Harry Potter fashion. As you venture through locations pulled from the book and film series, you’ll level up in the mystic arts. And there’s no need to fear your time away from home while attending wizarding classes. Not only are you sure to make friends at Hogwarts, but you can also tame and ride the iconic fantastic beasts made famous by the franchise. Just be sure to watch out for the dangers of this mysterious world of trolls, mandrakes, and other monsters.
Release Date: February 10, 2023 (PS5), April 4, 2023 (PS4) | Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive | PS4, PS5
PlayStation VR2
If you want to immerse yourself even deeper PlayStation VR2 is an absolute must. This groundbreaking virtual reality headset takes the key qualities of the original PlayStation VR and pushes them to the next level with new features and a selection of enticing titles. The added PS VR2 Sense controllers include key features from the DualSense wireless controller like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Games like No Man’s Sky, Resident Evil Village, and Star Wars: Tales from Galaxy’s Edge are a few of the diverse selection of games looking to transport you to distant lands. Horizon Call of the Mountain also launches alongside PS VR2 to return us to the luscious world with a new protagonist, Ryas, in a new adventure. Get ready to hunt machines, take aim with your bow, climb towering mountains, and collect raw materials to craft items using intuitive PS VR2 movements.
Release Date: February 22, 2023
Destiny 2: Lightfall
The future of Destiny 2 is speeding to the PlayStation with the seventh expansion of the title, Lightfall. Lightfall is the penultimate chapter in Bungie’s epic sci-fi “Light and Darkness Saga”. Lightfall brings you face to face with your end and a new beginning, with the Witness appearing with a new fleet, Disciple, and threats of a second collapse. You and your squad must tackle the odds and send this Shadow Legion back into the starry void of space. And you get to do it with some stylish new weapons, a Darkness subclass, and the addition of a grappling hook-like tool called the Strand, all in the new metropolis of Neptune.
Release Date: February 28, 2023 | Publisher: Bungie | PS4, PS5
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 is returning and bringing all the fear, thrills, and excitement to the PlayStation 5. Leon S. Kennedy will again go from a rookie cop on the Raccoon City Police Department to a legendary government agent with Resident Evil 4’s long-awaited remake. This reimagining of the 2005 classic is taking many cues from its preceding Resident Evil remakes and preserving the charm that made the original so great while adding tons of features to make it worthy of sharing the same title. While the game looks much more realistic, the over-the-top action and scares are all still there and haven’t missed a beat. What other game allows you to block a chainsaw with Leon’s trusty knife? It’s classic Resident Evil once more for a modern audience.
Release Date: March 24, 2023 | Publisher: | PS4, PS5
Final Fantasy XVI
RPG fans of the world are clamoring to see more of Final Fantasy XVI and ultimately get their hands on it. Enter a world of five kingdoms: Rosfield, Waloed, the Iron Kingdom, Sanbreque, and the Dhalmekian Republic, each at the other’s throat and looking to gain access to the series’ iconic crystals of powers. You play as the firstborn of the Archduke of Rosaria, Clive Rosfield, and embark on a journey of revenge driven by the appearance of the familiar summon, Ifrit. This title is taking a new approach to the Final Fantasy formula, with more in-depth combat than ever, thanks to producer Naoki “Yoshi-P? Yoshida’s choice to bring on Ryota Suzuki as the combat director. But don’t think the worldbuilding will take a backseat, as it and all its inhabitants come together to tell another epic story worthy of the Final Fantasy name.
Release Date: June 22, 2023 | Publisher: Square Enix | PS5
