The next-generation of consoles have finally arrived and are taking up way more space than anticipated, but that’s OK because the PlayStation 5 is jam-packed with a variety of gaming experiences thanks to its impressive launch lineup. It may be huge, but it makes up for it.
But what about the past PlayStation console launches? Were they just as good as the PS5’s or were they lacking any sort of monumental or memorable video games?
Let’s go back in time to 1995 to the launch of the original PlayStation and then we’ll work our way up to the PS5. Sounds good? Alrighty, hang on tight!
Original PlayStation – Sep. 9, 1995
Okay, so I think we can all agree that while the first PlayStation console was impressive with its power, the first titles available to play weren’t that awe-inspiring.
Sure, they were there to give people something to play on day one, but the real standout games here were definitely the ports, which were just awesome.
You had your Ridge Racer, a Rayman, and even a video game adaptation of a movie that was based on a video game –wild.
There was no big system seller here that would make anyone jump at the chance to own a PlayStation original until the heavy hitters starting coming out like Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII, Crash Bandicoot, Twisted Metal and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
New Titles
- Air Combat
- Battle Arena Toshinden
- ESPN Extreme Games
- Kileak: The DNA Imperative
- Power Serve 3D Tennis
- Zero Divide
Ports
- NBA Jam: Tournament Edition
- The Raiden Project
- Rayman
- Ridge Racer
- Street Fighter: The Movie (video game)
PlayStation 2 – Oct. 26, 2000
Dynasty Warriors, Ridge Racer V, SSX, Timesplitters, and Unreal Tournament are just some of the standout titles that launched alongside the PS2, one of the most successful video game consoles of all time.
And even though the launch lineup was quite impressive, that’s not what sold people on the PS2 at first. It was the library of titles that would come later in the PS2’s life cycle that would cement it as a gaming gem.
Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy X, Metal Gear Solid 2/3, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and plenty of other iconic titles helped shape the future of what a Sony console could be like.
And holy heck, there were just so many different genres of games available on day one! Plus, this bad boy doubled as a console and a DVD player. Talk about doing it all.
New Titles
- Armored Core 2
- Dynasty Warriors 2
- ESPN Winter X-Games Snowboarding
- Eternal Ring
- Evergrace
- Fantavision
- Gungriffon Blaze
- Kessen
- Midnight Club: Street Racing
- MotoGP
- Orphen: Scion of Sorcery
- Q-Ball: Billiards Master
- Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2
- Ridge Racer V
- Smuggler’s Run
- SSX
- Street Fighter EX3
- Summoner
- Swing Away Golf
- Timesplitters
- Wild Wild Racing
- X-Squad
Ports
- Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore
- International Track & Field 2000
- Madden NFL 2001
- NHL 2001
- Silent Scope
- Tekken Tag Tournament
- Unreal Tournament
PlayStation 3 – Nov. 17, 2006
The PS2 came out into the world with nothing but success, but we can’t say the same thing for the launch of the PS3. It was overpriced for the time, with Sony telling people that they’ll need a second job if they wanted to buy one of these –yikes.
And if you did manage to shell out the bucks for this sleek, black console, then you were treated to a launch lineup that has seen better days. Some standouts here were Resistance: Fall of Man, Ridge Racer 7, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and then a whole bunch of sports games.
Was it terrible? No. Was it great? Eh.
New Titles
- Blast Factor
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire
- Genji: Days of the Blade
- Resistance: Fall of Man
- Ridge Racer 7
- Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom
Ports
- Call of Duty 3
- Madden NFL 07
- Marvel Ultimate Alliance
- NBA 07
- NBA 2K7
- Need for Speed: Carbon
- Tony Hawk’s Project 8
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07
PlayStation 4 – Nov. 15, 2013
To make up for the not-so-great launch of the PS3, Sony legitimately hit it out of the park with the PS4. There weren’t any big tentpole PlayStation franchises here besides Knack and Killzone; no system seller to get people on board without much hesitation but damn, there were so many ports that just felt so great to play on a next-gen console.
I personally spent the first few weeks of the PS4’s launch attempting to get the platinum trophy for Resogun, an impressive shoot-em-up from Housemarque games and also sailing the seas in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
Early adopters would also get the chance to play Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Injustice, Warframe, and many other titles that were incredible additions to the lineup.
Whether you like sports games, FPS’, platformers, or quirky indies, there was at least one thing for any type of player to enjoy. And also, it’s worth mentioning that the PS4 launched for $399, which was $100 less than the Xbox One. That was surely a strong selling point for the system.
New Titles
- Contrast
- Killzone Shadow Fall
- Knack
- NBA Live 14
- Need for Speed Rivals
- The Playroom
- Resogun
- Super Motherlord
Ports
- Angry Birds Star Wars
- Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
- Battlefield 4
- Blacklight: Retribution
- Call of Duty: Ghosts
- DC Universe Online
- Divekick
- FIFA 14
- Flower
- Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition
- Just Dance 2014
- Lego Marvel Super Heroes
- Madden NFL 25
- NBA 2K14
- Skylanders: Swap Force
- Sound Shapes
- Trine 2: Complete Story Edition
- Warframe
PlayStation 5 – Nov. 12, 2020
Fast forward to the tiring year that is 2020 and both Sony and Microsoft have successfully released two new consoles without any sort of delay. Now that they’re in our greedy little paws, it’s safe to say that the PS5 launch lineup is nothing short of fantastic.
We got a brand-new Spider-Man game starring Miles Morales that takes full advantage of those 4K visuals; Astro’s Playroom is a delightful pack-in platformer that’s completely free; Demon’s Souls is a straight-up exclusive and is absolutely gorgeous, and then there’s Bugsnax, Godfall, Sackboy, the Pathless, and then a load of other ports.
There’s simply too much to play at this point! How does one choose between all of these standout titles? But you know what, it’s better to have options than to have nothing at all.
New Titles
- Bugsnax
- Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Demon’s Souls
- Astro’s Playroom
- Sackboy: A Big Adventure
- Godfall
- The Pathless
- Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War
Ports
- Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition
- Watch Dogs Legion
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- Borderlands 3
- Dead by Daylight
- Dirt 5
- Fortnite
- Goonya Fighter
- King Oddball
- Maneater
- NBA 2K21
- No Man’s Sky
- Observer: System Redux
- Overcooked
- Planet Coaster
- Warhammer: Chaosbane Slayer
- Watch Dogs Legion
- WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship
What do you think about the PS5 launch lineup? Is it Sony’s best one yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
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