PS5 launch window titles: PlayStation exec calls launch titles "the best line-up that we’ve ever seen in the history of PlayStation" - Which PlayStation 5 games will be available on day one?

The PlayStation 5 is coming. Sony’s next-gen console is due for release towards the end of 2020 and, it’s fair to say, anticipation is high among gaming fans.

The PS5’s advanced hardware is promising a huge leap forward in processing and graphics capabilities, meaning that games will play smoother, look better and load faster than ever before. Which is all well and good, but there’s one question that’s key for potential early adopters: what games will we actually be able to play on it?

Having a great console is all well and good, but winning the next console war is going to partly depend on the strength of its launch-day games catalogue. As Sony found out the hard way with the PlayStation 3’s release, first impressions count. If the PS5 is really going to leave the Xbox Series X in the dirt, it needs a varied, enticing and exclusive launch-day line-up.

So, with that in mind, here are all the games you can expect to be able to play on your shiny new PS5 when it arrives this winter. (It’s worth bearing in mind that a lot of these release dates are still to be confirmed, though.)

PlayStation's Head of Marketing praises the launch line-up

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, PlayStation's Head of Global Marketing, Eric Lempel, described the launch games as "the best line-up that we’ve ever seen in the history of PlayStation."

Lempel followed up by teasing what's still to come, stating, "We've revealed some of that content, and naturally there will be more to come."

This content could include the likes of Demon's Souls, heavily rumoured to be another PlayStation exclusive launch title. KindaFunny's Imran Khan revealed on Twitter that the Demon's Souls developers "had always been targeting launch/launch window."

However, it's not yet been confirmed that the remaster will launch alongside the PS5 this holiday. For now, here are all the titles confirmed for the PS5's launch.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

The latest in Ubisoft’s long-running stealth-and-slash series takes the RPG baton from 2018’s Odyssey and runs with it – all the way to medieval England. This luscious-looking, Viking-themed instalment is set to further flesh out the AC lore and make full use of the PS5’s powerful hardware while it’s at it.

READ MORE: Assassin's Creed Valhalla PS4 vs PS5

Astro’s Playroom

Looking to snatch the cute platformer crown from Sackboy: A Big Adventure is this quirky PlayStation exclusive, which will come pre-loaded with the PS5 console. That’s right, it’s free! A follow-up to the PSVR’s Astro Bot Rescue Mission, the game has been to really show off what Sony’s new DualSense controller can do.

READ MORE: Sony's DualSense controller explained

Bugsnax

Described as a “whimsical adventure”, this colourful indie will see you travelling around the mysterious Snaktooth Island trying to find and capture different species of Bugsnax (literally “half-bug, half-snack”) using various contraptions. With this, Sackboy and Astro all in the launch-window line-up, Sony is likely hoping the PS5 will give off a family-friendly vibe.

Deathloop

The latest game from Arkane Studios (best known for the Dishonored series), this high-concept actioner looks set to be one of the PS5’s first-ever first-person shooters. Our ‘hero’ is Colt, an assassin who’s stuck in a time loop and must track down and take out eight targets in order to get himself out of it. The game is due to be released around the PS5’s launch as a timed console exclusive.

Dirt 5

Gran Turismo 7 might have some competition on its hands for the launch-day racer crown from one of its long-time rivals. Yep, the latest instalment of Codemasters’ rally series is speeding onto the PS5 right from the word go. As well as crisp next-gen graphics and smoother-than-smooth gameplay, the game’s career mode boasts performances from two of the gaming’s biggest actors, too – Nolan North (Uncharted) and Troy Baker (The Last Of Us). That’s quite some pedigree.

READ MORE: Which consoles is Dirt 5 coming to?

Fifa 21

The world’s biggest-selling football franchise is heading to PS5, hot on the heels of its current-gen release in October. The PS5 version of Fifa 21 will feature enhanced graphics, lightning-fast load times and innovative controller haptics. And, if you’ve already bought the game for PS4, you can upgrade for free. Score!

READ MORE: How the PS5 hardware will enhance Fifa 21

Godfall

This loot-based hack-and-slash fantasy published by Gearbox (of Borderlands 3 fame) is so fantastical that we’re not even going to try to get into the plot here. But as one of the PS5’s only early games based off an original concept, it’s an intriguing prospect – one that boasts some jaw-dropping visuals if recent footage is anything to go by. It’s a console exclusive and is due for a ‘Holiday 2020’ release, so it seems pretty likely it’ll be a launch title.

Gran Turismo 7

Sony’s signature racer gets its first numbered instalment in seven years, following the PS3’s Gran Turismo 6. This platform-exclusive driving sim series is a bit of a PlayStation stalwart, and its latest chapter looks set to push the PS5’s next-gen technology to its limits (the teaser trailer looked nothing short of absolutely stunning). All signs point to it being a high-profile launch title.

READ MORE: The best steering wheels for Gran Turismo 7

Madden 21

Much like its EA Sports stablemate Fifa 21, the latest edition of the legendary American footy sim is getting a current-gen release before making the step up to next-gen. The PS5 version of the game will offer players an enhanced experience and, thanks to EA’s Dual Entitlement offer, those who’ve shelled out for Madden 21 on PS4 will get a free upgrade.

Marvel’s Avengers

Crystal Dynamics is taking a leaf out of EA’s book, making its upcoming superhero extravaganza – which will be available for the PS5 at launch – a free upgrade for PS4 players. The developers have promised that the PS5 version of the game will really up the ante, offering enhanced graphics and high frame rate modes. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s the little matter of Spider-Man joining the action as a PlayStation-exclusive character.

READ MORE: Marvel's Avengers game beta – how to get early access

Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales

A sequel of sorts to 2018's web-slinging blockbuster, this PS5 exclusive follows the newly super-powered Miles Morales as he defends his hometown of Brooklyn from new threats and learns what it takes to become the next Spidey. Described as "an expansion and an enhancement to the previous game", this smaller-scale spin-off looks set to be an early hit for Sony's next-gen console.

READ MORE: Everything we know about Spider-Man Miles Morales

NBA 2K21

Unlike EA’s sports titles, NBA 2K21 isn’t being quite as generous with its upgrades. That’s because the PS5 version of the basketball sim isn’t just a mere enhancement. In fact, it’s been built from the ground up for next-gen and boasts swanky new features that aren’t available on current-gen platforms. If you opt for the more-expensive ‘Mamba Forever’ edition (a tribute to the late Kobe Bryant) on PS4, though, you will get access to the standard edition of the game on the PS5.

READ MORE: NBA 2K21 PS4 vs PS5 – what will the differences be?

Rainbow Six Siege

Ubisoft’s tactical shooter has been on the scene since 2015 and has developed into one of the world’s biggest online multiplayer games, with over 45 million registered players worldwide. It’s no surprise, then, that a PS5 port is making its way to PS5 quick-sharp. “For Siege, our target is to be available right at launch,” confirms game director Leroy Athanassof.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

The titular lombax-and-robot buddies make the leap to next-gen in their first adventure since 2016’s PS4 reboot Ratchet & Clank. This shooty-shooty platformer is another PS5 exclusive and will see the console’s powerful hardware firing on all cylinders. It doesn’t yet have a release date but, given its prominence in the PS5’s pre-release hype, we’re keeping our fingers crossed it appears somewhere in the launch window. 

Sackboy: A Big Adventure

Another PS5 exclusive, this gorgeous-looking 3D platformer looks like it'll be a real showcase for the console's graphical capabilities. It features the long-awaited return of titular hero Sackboy, the adorable PlayStation mascot last seen in 2014’s LittleBigPlanet 3. Again, there’s no confirmed release date, but thanks to its impressive announcement trailer, we’re hoping it’s a day one treat. 

Watch Dogs: Legion

The long-awaited sequel to 2016’s Watch Dogs 2, Ubisoft’s open-world action-adventure focuses on the London branch of hacker group DedSec, fighting for freedom in a post-Brexit dystopia in which the UK’s capital has become a surveillance state. The game will release on current-gen platforms this autumn, with a PS5 version following later in the year (PS4 players get a free upgrade, too).

READ MORE:PS5 price predictions: How much will the PS5 cost?