As the PS5 enters its fourth year, the console is really starting to hit its stride with its game library. Most game studios are finally moving away from cross-generation releases on the PS4, which means we have some truly exciting games coming in 2024 that harness the full capabilities of the PS5 hardware.
2023 set a high standard for PS5 owners with blockbuster games like Diablo 4, Spider-Man 2, Street Fighter 6, and more being launched. Can 2024 match that output, or maybe even surpass it? Here are five games coming to PS5 in 2024 that may just do exactly that.
Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth (PS5)
Release Date: 29 February
The sequel to 2020’s Final Fantasy 7 Remake, FF7 Rebirth will take players beyond the confines of Midgar to a much larger map that includes areas like Nibelheim, Junon, the Gold Saucer, and others. The protagonists from FF7 Remake – Cloud, Tifa, Barret, and Aerith – all return as well as new characters such as Zack Fair, Cait Sith, and Red XIII.
The story continues their fight against Shinra and Sephiroth, and last week’s Rebirth-focussed State of Play showed off the game’s beautiful graphics, expansive world, and promised over 100 hours of content. Square Enix has also released a free demo for FF7 Rebirth on PS5, which can be played right now.
Pacific Drive (PS5)
Release Date: 22 February
Inspired by the Strugatsky brothers’ novel Roadside Picnic, Pacific Drive is a first-person survival game focussed around the player escaping an exclusion zone in a slightly ramshackle station wagon. The game’s big sell is the mystery around the “zone”, as well as the threat that you’re escaping from.
The players’ bond with the car is also a central tenet of the game, with in-depth customisation mechanics for the car using looted supplies. A unique atmosphere, unknown threat, and intriguing gameplay make Pacific Drive a must-play in 2024.
Stellar Blade (PS5)
Release Date: 26 April
Stellar Blade is Korean developer Shift Up’s first AAA game. It was first revealed in 2019 under the codename Project EVE, but due to financial trouble, the studio was on the verge of axing it. Thankfully, PlayStation swooped in, struck a deal to fund and publish the game, and now it’s finally releasing as Stellar Blade.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the hack-and-slash adventure game takes inspiration from the likes of Bayonetta, Nier, and Devil May Cry. The story is focussed around an android, Eve, who fights off an alien infestation called the NA:tives. Shift Up has confirmed the story is 25–30 hours long, and the game is fully single-player with no microtransactions, which is great to see in an era of live-service titles.
Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown (PS4, PS5)
Release Date: TBA, 2024
For those who enjoy open-world racing games like Need for Speed and Forza Horizon, the franchise that started it all will return in 2024. Solar Crown is the third instalment of the Test Drive Unlimited series, launching more than 14 years after the last game, TDU 2. Set in a 1:1 recreation of Hong Kong, Solar Crown is named after a fictional racing competition that players will compete in.
The game is centred around two factions that players must choose between – Sharps and Streets – with the former focussing on luxury cars and the latter on tuner-style cars. Solar Crown doesn’t have a release date yet, but developer Kylotonn has confirmed a 2024 launch, as well as provided a plethora of gameplay videos which exhibit the realism of the game.
Concord (PS5)
Release Date: TBA 2024
For those who love shooters, Firewalk Studio’s debut game, Concord, is also slated to launch later this year. Concord was first revealed in 2023’s PlayStation Showcase as a PVP multiplayer first-person shooter, with a CGI trailer that showed colourful visuals, a spaceship, and an innocuous burger.
Beyond that, we don’t have many details on the PlayStation first-party game, but we do know that Firewalk comprises developers who worked on mega-successful franchises such as Destiny and Call of Duty. With experience like that coming together, Concord is shaping up to be a sleeper hit.
