After a lukewarm response to Sony’s May 2023 PlayStation Showcase, Microsoft has a chance to give the Xbox Series X a huge boost this summer.
In 2020, shortly before the latest generation of consoles launched, I wrote about how the Xbox Series X needed a more compelling lineup of exclusive games than the Xbox One for Microsoft to compete with Sony’s PlayStation 5. Three years later, it’s clear that Microsoft did not heed my warning, as the PS5’s library has trounced that of the Xbox Series X so far. But this week, Sony cracked the door open for Microsoft to claw its way back into the conversation.
On Wednesday, Sony hosted its annual PlayStation Showcase to reveal dozens of new games coming to PS5 later this year and beyond. There were some genuine highlights, including long-awaited sequels like Alan Wake 2, Dragon’s Dogma 2, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, as well as a cluster of promising-looking indies, such as Sword of the Sea and Neva.
But for a live event with “PlayStation” in the title, there was a surprising lack of PS5 exclusives, especially of the first-party variety. Only a few PlayStation Studios had anything to show us, and most of those were nothing more than CG trailers. We learned next to nothing about Fairgame$ (Haven Studios) or Concord (Firewalk Studios), and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was revealed nearly two years ago.
