Feature: 15 PS5 Predictions for 2026

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The Push Square team is taking a look at the future and sharing our predictions for what PlayStation has in store for 2026.

We’ve all made three predictions about the next year. Some are serious thoughts about the future of the industry, while others are simply hopes for games we’d love to play – but it’s all in good fun, really.

Whatever the case, here’s what we reckon will happen on PS5 in 2026.

Sammy Barker, Editor

Hermen Hulst leaves Sony in 2026

I was among the first to predict Guerrilla’s managing director would become head of PlayStation Studios after Shuhei Yoshida left, but I haven’t been impressed with his performance so far.

Jim Ryan’s successor, Herman Hulst, hasn’t successfully broadened PlayStation’s range of games. Their attempt to focus on ongoing, live service games hasn’t gone well, with Helldivers 2 being the only clear success.

Integral first-party teams like Naughty Dog also appear to have floundered under his leadership.

Look, it’s hard to say exactly how much responsibility he takes for the recent issues, but as the guy running all of Sony’s exclusive games, ultimately it falls on him. Honestly, I’m predicting he won’t be in that role past 2026.

Sony releases a modified PS5 ahead of GTA 6

Despite a lot of criticism, PlayStation has done remarkably well handling the many difficulties it’s faced this generation. Between the pandemic, shortages of computer chips, tariffs, and a tough economy, it’s been a very challenging time for their leadership.

While 2025 was decent, the company will likely struggle to keep growing as prices go up, particularly the increasingly expensive cost of RAM.

I’m guessing that when GTA 6 comes out in November, we’ll also see a special version of the PS5 console available to buy.

I’m imagining a refresh similar to the PS3 Super Slim – a revised version built with less expensive parts and improved inner workings. It would still play all the existing games, but importantly, help maintain stable pricing before the release of Rockstar’s highly anticipated new game.

Sony releases a PC launcher for first-party games

As a PlayStation fan, I was really surprised by the whole Helldivers 2 situation. It feels like Sony tried to get PC players onto PlayStation Network, but it totally backfired! The game was their first big attempt at a live service, and fans were not happy – there was a huge amount of anger and frustration about it.

I believe the company will try to grow its monthly active users by launching a PC program. This program will offer benefits like cross-buy deals with PlayStation 5, and other rewards for games bought through it.

I don’t think Sony will stop selling games on Steam or the Epic Games Store. Instead, they’ll likely try to attract players to their own platform by offering extra perks, similar to how Xbox lets you play your games on both PC and console.

Liam Croft, Assistant Editor

GTA 6 single player manages a 2026 launch, leaving online for 2027

I predict we’ll see the single-player story mode of GTA 6 released before the year is over, but that’s likely all we’ll get this year.

Most players come to this site for the online experience, and it’s clear how popular GTA Online has become in GTA 5. That’s why its launch will be so important for the long-term success of GTA 6. I expect Rockstar to follow a similar pattern as before, offering a single-player game first, but with a longer wait before the online component is released.

The former makes it to market this year, and is then updated with GTA Online in early 2027.

BioShock 4 is finally revealed

A new BioShock game has been in development for several years. Although there have been some concerning reports about its creation, I expect we’ll finally get an official announcement this year.

With Rod Fergusson now leading development, many are hoping to hear news about BioShock 4 soon. However, I predict the game won’t be released until at least late 2027, meaning we’ll likely have to wait a considerable time for an official announcement, but one is coming.

I’m predicting a tease at The Game Awards 2026 in December.

The PS5 Pro PSSR upgrade is a flop

People have different opinions about the PS5 Pro so far, but many are hoping for a significant improvement to its PSSR feature later this year, which could address some of the current criticisms.

It’s hard to say exactly how much better this will be, but I doubt most players will notice a significant improvement. While Digital Foundry has detailed comparisons showing the changes, the average gamer likely won’t see a huge difference in their experience.

While people will likely be happy about the improvements, I don’t expect to see many significant changes.

Robert Ramsey, Assistant Editor

Dragon Quest 12 is finally re-revealed

It feels like ages since Dragon Quest 12 was first revealed, but I have a feeling we’ll be hearing about it again soon. Or maybe I just have a stomachache from eating too much chocolate during the holidays!

Square Enix has been putting a lot of effort into the Dragon Quest series recently, especially with all the remakes they’ve been releasing. They’re really pushing the upcoming Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined, and I suspect it’s meant to build excitement for a larger project or announcement in the future.

My main concern about this prediction is imagining what the announcement of Dragon Quest 12 will actually look like. Square Enix hasn’t shared any information about the game in years, but they’ve said it’s still being developed and is reportedly progressing well.

While the lack of news could easily stretch into 2026, I doubt we’ll be waiting much longer for updates on season 12. The show is building a lot of excitement right now, and a prolonged silence doesn’t seem likely.

Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter is the highest rated RPG of 2026

I predict that Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter, releasing this fall, will be the highest-rated RPG of the year. I’m expecting it to score 93 or higher on Metacritic.

You might not be familiar with 2nd Chapter, but it has the potential to be an amazing game. It’s the second part of Falcom’s updated Trails in the Sky series, following the release of 1st Chapter last year.

The game received incredible reviews and achieved the highest average score of any game in the Trails series so far. Even better, the sequel is often hailed as surpassing the original, boasting one of the most captivating stories Falcom has ever created.

This idea is a guaranteed success, and I’m so confident in it that I’m giving it a perfect score – just trust me on this one!

We hear troubling news about the next Mass Effect

It looks like we’re unfortunately about to receive some disappointing news concerning BioWare.

I’ve been following news about the next Mass Effect game for ages – they started working on it way back in 2020, and officially began early production in 2022. But honestly, we haven’t seen much at all since then. Considering all the changes and downsizing BioWare has gone through recently, I’m really worried the development process won’t be easy, and I don’t have a lot of confidence in a smooth release over the next year. It’s a bit nerve-wracking as a fan!

I’m worried about the future of BioWare. Between potential layoffs, staff leaving, internal setbacks, and even talk of the project being cancelled, things don’t look good. I don’t want to be right about this, but I expect they’ll face some serious challenges before 2026, particularly with EA’s upcoming acquisition.

Stephen Tailby, Assistant Editor

Marvel’s Wolverine launches 16th October 2026, and the Metascore settles at 87

Okay, so I’m just throwing this out there, and I don’t have any solid proof, but I’m guessing the game will drop on this date for a couple of reasons. It’s just a hunch, but I’ve got a feeling about it.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 came out on October 20th, 2023 – a release date I correctly predicted. Looking ahead, if Grand Theft Auto 6 is truly launching in November, I believe Sony will aim to release something beforehand to capture attention for a month leading up to it.

Yes, the date and the Metascore are guesses, but imagine if this pays off.

We’ll get our first glimpse of whatever’s next from Media Molecule

I might be getting ahead of myself, but I’m really excited to see what Media Molecule, one of my favorite game developers, is working on next. I’m eagerly anticipating their next project!

Creating Dreams took a lot of time and money, so our team is planning to make something smaller and more straightforward for our next project – a game with a lower budget and a more classic approach.

Development on this game started around September 2023. If it takes about three years to create, the studio might be able to share a first look – even a small one – later this year.

Arcade racing games are bouncing back, so it’s finally Burnout’s time

I enjoy racing games, but I especially love the fast-paced, action-packed style of arcade racers. It’s great to see them becoming popular again.

Milestone has led the way with its Hot Wheels Unleashed games, and their new game, Screamer, is looking promising. With Tokyo Xtreme Racer and Star Wars: Galactic Racer also planned for release in 2026, I’m confident in making this forecast.

Stellar Entertainment is a support studio known for its work on remasters of popular games like Need for Speed and Burnout Paradise. For some time now, since early 2024, they’ve also been secretly developing a high-quality, new arcade racing game using Unreal Engine 5.

I predict it’s Burnout, and that it’ll be announced this year. It’s time. Come on.

Aaron Bayne, Video Producer

Sony will basically drop support for PSVR2

Some might say it’s already happened, but after three years, it’s becoming obvious that Sony is losing confidence in its VR headset.

By 2025, the PSVR2 relied completely on games made by companies other than Sony. No games were exclusive to the PSVR2; everything available on it could also be found on other platforms. This issue is highlighted by Capcom’s recent decision not to release a VR version of Resident Evil Requiem, even though Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 4 were key reasons many people bought the headset in the first place.

Although a lower price and support from other companies might keep it going for a little while, it seems Sony has stopped actively working on it.

Marathon won’t be the flop everyone is saying it will be

I’m a big fan of multiplayer games, so I get defensive when people immediately dismiss new releases—not every one is a complete failure. While I sometimes agree a game isn’t great, I think Bungie might actually have a surprising success with Marathon.

Look, I don’t expect this game to be a massive hit like ARC Raiders, especially with some of the criticism Destiny 2 got later on, and the initial reaction to Marathon wasn’t amazing. But honestly, it’s still Bungie making the game, and that counts for a lot. They know what they’re doing, and I’m still excited to see what they come up with.

This team has a fantastic reputation for creating excellent first-person shooter games, so we expected great gameplay – and they delivered. Although the game’s art style faced some controversy due to a plagiarism claim (which has now been settled), Marathon is still one of the most visually striking games of 2026. What really stands out, though, is the team’s ability to create complex character builds and engaging endgame content. That’s especially important for live-service games, and they’ve built a strong foundation for long-term success.

Marathon isn’t likely to be a huge commercial success, and Bungie doesn’t seem to be aiming for that. However, it should be well-received by critics and, more importantly, attract a dedicated fanbase who will really get invested in the long-term gameplay. I believe Marathon has more long-term potential than many people currently appreciate.

Sony will finally figure out PS3 emulation for PS5

The PlayStation 3 remains a frustrating issue for Sony. With newer consoles and subscription services like PS Plus Premium offering access to a vast library of older games, the fact that PS3 titles can’t be played on current systems is a noticeable drawback.

I believe – and I’m optimistic – that by 2026, Sony and its studios will have figured out how to properly emulate PlayStation 3 games, allowing them to be played natively instead of relying on cloud streaming.

The team at Implicit Conversions, who handle PlayStation 1 and 2 games on PS Plus Premium, thinks it’s possible to make PS3 games playable on the service. There’s also been talk that Sony has been quietly working on PS3 emulation for quite some time.

I’m optimistic that we’ll hear an announcement sometime this year about PlayStation 3 games becoming playable on the PlayStation 5, and that a good number of them will be available soon after.

Now we want to hear from you! What are your predictions for 2026? What would you like to see happen? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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2026-01-12 21:10