2025 was relatively quiet for Sony, as its PlayStation-published output was limited to games like Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and the samurai sandbox Ghost of Yotei. Third-party support and several hit Xbox games still gave PS5 owners plenty of reasons to power on their systems, and headed into 2026, it looks like a bumper year for the gaming giant. The early part of the year is shaping up nicely with upcoming games like Marathon and Saros, while the rest of 2026 has games like Marvel’s Wolverine and Phantom Blade Zero to look forward to.
Meanwhile, there’s the GTA 6-shaped elephant in the room that everyone is trying to avoid, hundreds of third-party and indie games on the horizon, and Sony’s first-party studios are all busy on their own projects. All of that adds up to what could be an exciting year for PS5 players, and we’re checking out everything that you can expect from PlayStation this year, along with a few educated guesses. If you’re waving the flag for a different console, you can also check out our feature on what to expect from Xbox in 2026.
Xbox continues to stake a claim on PS5
What was unthinkable a few years ago is now the new normal for Microsoft, as Xbox games continue to find a second home on PS5. Last year saw titles like Forza Horizon 5, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and The Outer Worlds 2 arrive on the Sony console, and this year, even more big games are on the way. Several of them will launch first for Xbox Series X|S and PC–like Forza Horizon 6–while other games like Fable and Halo: Campaign Evolved will be multiplatform day-one releases.
Will there be new hardware to complement your PS5?
Ever since the PS5 launched, Sony has been expanding on the system with new hardware designed to complement the gaming experience. Some of these have been surprising–like the PlayStation Portal remote player–while others have been nice additions to a PS5 gaming setup, like the wireless Pulse earbuds, the Inzone monitor, and last year’s specialized speakers. It’s worth noting that these have all been optional extras, not required to play games on a PS5, but the frequency of their releases suggest more could be coming in 2026.
Will we see that rumored Sony handheld?
A successor of sorts to the PlayStation Portable and PS Vita has been rumored for a while now,. If Sony is working on a dedicated gaming handheld to complement the PS Portal, it’ll arrive during a competitive time in this space as the Nintendo Switch 2 has broken sales records, the Asus Xbox ROG Ally already allows you to play PC ports of PlayStation Studios titles on the go, and other major manufacturers have also released their own PC gaming handhelds.
PS5 Pro PSSR 2
With a next-gen PS6 looking like it’s still several years away from release, now might be a good time to invest in a PS5 Pro if you’re looking to play games with extra visual fidelity. The system has proven fairly capable of handling demanding games, thanks in part to the AI-powered PSSR upscaling technology at its heart. It’s rumored that PSSR 2.0 will be introduced in the early part of 2026 and will deliver some major improvements across the board.
Marathon
While Bungie’s next game won’t be exclusive to PS5, it could be a make-or-break moment for the Destiny 2 developer, which Sony owns. The failure of Sony’s high-profile live-service shooter Concord is still fresh in the minds of many people, but to its credit, interest in Marathon is starting to heat up ahead of its March release. But the real challenge doesn’t lie in selling Marathon: It’s in retaining those players for the long haul.
Saros
On the opposite end of the punishing action game spectrum, there’sSaros from Returnal developer Housemarque. While it looks like a continuation of the ideas introduced in Returnal, Saros also brings new energy to the mix with gameplay that encourages and rewards aggression in its bullet-hell world. You’ll have to wait a little longer for it to launch on PS5, however, as the release date was moved from March 20 to April 30, 2026.
Nioh 3
Team Ninja has been a prolific developer as of late, releasing several video games every year since 2019. While it doesn’t stray far from its action roots, fans of the studio know exactly what they’re in for each year: an action-packed romp that is typically built around a souls-like framework. Nioh 3 is a new PS5 console-exclusive game on the way–with a PC release on the same day–and this journey into dark fantasy looks like it’ll appeal to Team Ninja fans with its punishing gameplay and fast-paced combat.
Phantom Blade Zero
If Nioh 3 doesn’t scratch your itch for edge-of-your-seat swordplay, then maybe Phantom Blade Zero will do the job. Arriving on September 9, it looks impressive in action, but pulling off intricate combos in this action game is going to take a lot of practice as it’s a lot more intense than your typical souls-like. Still, deadly trial-and-error gameplay looks worth the slog, because once you start dialing in those combos and dodges, the game plays like a blockbuster martial arts epic.
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
At the time of writing, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls doesn’t have a release date yet. Still, the recent closed betas for the fighting game showed off a well-rounded brawler from Guilty Gear developer Arc System Works, and with the year devoid of high-profile entries in this genre so far, a 2026 release might be on the cards. The game has already made an impact, thanks to its highly stylized spin on familiar Marvel heroes like Spider-Man and Star-Lord.
Could Marvel’s Wolverine be delayed by GTA 6?
He’s the best there is at what he does, but even Wolverine might have bitten off more than he can chew if he’s planning to pop his adamantium claws and square off against GTA 6.While Insomniac’s Wolverine game has a nebulous release window of Fall 2026, that could put Marvel’s favorite mutant right in the blast radius of GTA 6. At the same time, Fall 2026 is a fairly large chunk of the calendar–ranging from September through to December. We wouldn’t be surprised if Marvel’s Wolverine launches before GTA 6, but we’re also banking on September, October, and December being particularly busy months this year, as the entire gaming industry plans around GTA 6’s current November release date.
4:Loop
Considering that 4:Loop–the new co-op shooter from Left 4 Dead creator Mike Booth and JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot Games–was only recently revealed, it’s unlikely that it’ll ship this year. There’s no release date yet for this intriguing mix of roguelike gameplay and shoot-’em-up action, but with playtesting sessions planned, we’re hoping for more details to surface on this intriguing PS5 and PC exclusive.
Fairgames
Sony hasn’t thrown in the towel on its live-service games strategy yet, but several of the games tied to this initiative have been operating under radio silence for what feels like an eternity now. Will we ever see Haven Studios’s competitive heist shooter, Fairgames? There’s still no word on what’s happening with the project, and with the loss of studio founder Jade Raymond and creative director Daniel Drapeau last year, there’s concern about the future of Fairgames.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
Meanwhile, we have no expectations for a 2026 release of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Naughty Dog’s brand-new sci-fi adventure made a big impression when it was first revealed, and in typical fashion, the studio has kept its lips zipped on what fans can expect from it. Creator Neil Druckmann has teased that it’s one of the most ambitious games the studio has ever attempted to make, and a gameplay trailer during a PlayStation State of Play would be most welcome.
Sony’s other studios are also busy
When are we going to see what Cory Barlog and Sony Santa Monica have been up to since God of War Ragnarok closed the curtain on Kratos’ Nordic saga? What’s Horizon studio Guerrilla Games up to lately? Is Team Asobi crafting another Astro Bot adventure? When is Sony going to announce the next game from Media Molecule–or a PC port of its delightful game-creation platform Dreams? Will Bluepoint Games ever get to create an original IP? Could we please see what Bungie spin-off studio teamLFG is working on? Where’s that teaser for the debut title from Dark Outlaw Games, the new studio led by Call of Duty veteran Jason Blundell?
All pertinent questions that we’re dying to see answered, preferably sooner rather than later. Sony will likely space out new game reveals throughout the year through dedicated showcases like State of Play.
