Feature: 15 PS5 Predictions for 2026

It's time once again for the Push Square team to stare into our crystal ball and predict what 2026 will bring for PlayStation.

Each of us has come up with a trio of predictions about the next 12 months. Maybe it's a thoughtful rumination on where the medium is heading, or maybe it's just wishful thinking about a game we want to see — it's all just a bit of fun, mostly.

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

Sammy Barker, Editor

Hermen Hulst leaves Sony in 2026

While I was one of the few who tipped Guerrilla’s managing director for the PS Studios top job when Shuhei Yoshida stepped down, I’ve been thoroughly unimpressed with his tenure.

Hulst has failed his remit of diversifying PlayStation’s portfolio, with the platform holder’s live service push failing spectacularly, excepting Helldivers 2.

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

Exactly how much he’s specifically to blame for these shortcomings is up for debate, but as the head of Sony’s first-party, the buck stops with him — and I think he’ll be gone by the end of 2026.

Sony releases a modified PS5 ahead of GTA 6

For as much criticism as we give PlayStation, it’s done outstandingly well to navigate the seemingly never-ending string of hurdles that have obstructed it this generation. From the pandemic to semi-conductor shortages to tariffs to a challenged economy, it’s been anything but an easy ride for the top brass.

After an acceptable but unremarkable 2025, it’s going to be tough for the manufacturer to maintain momentum in the face of rising prices – especially the spiralling cost of RAM.

My prediction, ahead of GTA 6’s launch in November, is that it’ll have a modified PS5 console on store shelves.

I’m thinking something like the PS3 Super Slim: an adjusted model made of cheaper materials and with optimised internals that plays all the same games but at the very least enables it to keep prices steady ahead of Rockstar’s monumentally anticipated adventure.

Sony releases a PC launcher for first-party games

PlayStation’s attempt to convert PC players into PSN users failed spectacularly when its sole live service hit Helldivers 2 attracted an unprecedented backlash from irate fans.

But I think the company will attempt to increase its MAUs with a new tactic: a PC launcher which offers cross-buy with PS5 and other incentives for games purchased within it.

To be clear, I don’t believe Sony will stop releasing on Steam or the Epic Games Store; it’ll instead try to woo consumers into its own ecosystem by offering bonuses, such as an equivalent to Xbox’s Play Anywhere initiative.

Liam Croft, Assistant Editor

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

I think we will be playing GTA 6 before the end of this year, but only its offline single player campaign.

This is the main draw for much of this website's audience, of course, but it's impossible to deny the popularity of GTA Online in GTA 5 — and how critical its launch will be for the sustained future of GTA 6. As such, I think Rockstar will take a similar approach as the previous entry, but the gap between the single player and multiplayer releases will be wider.

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

BioShock 4 is finally revealed

The next BioShock entry has been quietly in development for years now, and despite some troubling stories surrounding its production, I think we at least see the official announcement of the title this year.

Rod Fergusson has been brought on board to right the ship, so you'd like to think the time is now for BioShock 4. I don't think it'll actually release until at least the end of 2027, so we might be waiting a while for the reveal, but it'll happen.

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

The PS5 Pro PSSR upgrade is a flop

You're going to hear a wide variety of opinions if you ask about people's experiences of the PS5 Pro up until now, but for anyone negative about the system, the hope has been that there's a big upgrade for the console's PSSR feature coming this year.

It's going to be difficult to quantify this prediction, but I don't think this enhancement will make much of a difference. You'll find Digital Foundry comparisons that highlight all the improvements, but for the average player, I think it'll be a struggle to notice much of substance.

The upgrade will be welcomed, of course, but I think the actual differences will be few and far between.

Robert Ramsey, Assistant Editor

Dragon Quest 12 is finally re-revealed

It genuinely feels like a lifetime ago that Dragon Quest 12 was announced, but I've just got a strange gut feeling that its return is nigh. Either that or I've still got an upset stomach from all the chocolate I scoffed over the holidays.

But look, Square Enix has been investing quite heavily in Dragon Quest as a franchise over the last couple of years, what with all the remakes. In particular, the publisher's trying its best to hype up Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined — and I'd be surprised if that revival isn't used as a springboard for something... bigger.

My only problem with this prediction is that I can't quite picture what the Dragon Quest 12 re-reveal looks like. Square Enix has basically said nothing about the project for years now, but we know that it's still in production and supposedly coming along nicely.

It's entirely possible that the silence continues throughout 2026, but I just find it hard to believe that 12's absence could continue for much longer given the series' current momentum.

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

Due out in the autumn, I'm betting on Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter being the best-reviewed RPG of the entire year. We're talking a critic score of 93+ on Metacritic.

Some of you reading this won't even know what 2nd Chapter is, but trust me when I say that it's perfectly set up to be a genre masterpiece. As its name suggests, it's the second instalment in Falcom's Trails in the Sky remake series, with 1st Chapter launching last year.

That game was met with rave reviews, commanding the highest average score of any Trails title to date. And guess what? Its sequel is widely considered to be even better thanks to one of the most engrossing storylines in Falcom's catalogue.

I'm telling you, this is a homerun waiting to happen. Just don't ask too many questions when I give it a 10/10 in my own review.

We hear troubling news about the next Mass Effect

Alright, this one's a bit vague, but I do think we are, unfortunately, overdue some bad news with regards to BioWare.

The next Mass Effect has been in some form of development since 2020, with the team confirming that the project had entered early production in 2022. We've basically seen bugger all of it since, and given the current state of BioWare — the company's been downsized several times over the last few years — I just can't envision the series' latest enjoying a smooth ride over the coming year.

Whether it's layoffs, the departure of key staff, internal delays, or hell, even rumours of a cancellation, I've got a bad feeling about this one. Not exactly a prediction anyone likes to make, but I'd be surprised if BioWare gets out of 2026 without any bruising — especially with EA's highly questionable buyout on the horizon.

Stephen Tailby, Assistant Editor

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

I've no evidence to back up this prediction, but there are a couple of reasons why I'm picking this specific release date.

Firstly, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 launched 20th October 2023 (a date I actually did successfully predict), and this is about as close as we can get. Secondly, if GTA 6 really is launching in November, I think Sony will want to get out ahead of it, and with a solid month of time in the spotlight beforehand.

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

This one is maybe just wishful thinking. Media Molecule remains one of my favourite developers in the business, and I seriously cannot wait to find out what it's been cooking up.

Dreams was a costly game to produce, both in terms of time and money; as a result, I think the team's next project will be smaller scale, lower budget, and a more traditional game.

Work began on this game around September 2023, so I reckon with about three years of dev time, the studio may be ready to peel back the curtain — even just a little bit — later this year.

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

I've got nothing against sim racers, but arcade racing is where my heart lies, and I'm really pleased to see the subgenre gradually coming back.

Milestone has been at the forefront of this with its two Hot Wheels Unleashed games, and the upcoming Screamer is shaping up nicely too. Also due in 2026 are Tokyo Xtreme Racer, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and more; it gives me confidence to make this prediction.

Stellar Entertainment is a support studio that's worked on many remasters, notably including the Need for Speed series and Burnout Paradise. It's been building an unannounced "AAA arcade racing game" in Unreal Engine 5, something we've known about since early 2024.

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

I know you could argue that this has already come to fruition, but as we enter the third year of Sony’s VR headset, I think it’s clear that the Japanese giant has lost faith in the platform.

In 2025, the PSVR2 was held up entirely by third-party support. There was nothing across the year on PSVR2 that couldn’t be played somewhere else. And it’s feeling especially prevalent now that Capcom has announced it has no intention to port Resident Evil Requiem to VR – despite both Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 4 being some of the biggest exclusive selling points for the headset.

While there’s the faintest glimmer of hope that its dropped price and third-party support will maintain a feeble heartbeat, I think it’s clear Sony has washed its hands of the whole affair.

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

As a multiplayer-focused gamer, I tend to get my hackles up a bit when people write off the latest multiplayer releases – not everything is a Concord-level flop, y’know. Sometimes I agree that a game isn’t quite doing enough, but in the case of Marathon, I think Bungie could have an unassuming hit on its hands.

Now, don’t get me wrong, this isn’t going to do ARC Raiders numbers. Bungie has picked up some flak for its latter years with Destiny 2, and Marathon’s first impressions weren’t the best. But it’s still Bungie behind the wheel, and that’s nothing to scoff at.

This is the team with such a high pedigree in first-person shooters that we almost take it for granted that its gameplay will be best in class. And while the artistic style of the game has been marred by the plagiarism case (which has since been resolved), Marathon is easily one of the most visually interesting games of 2026. But most of all, you have a team that knows how to cook up deep build-crafting systems and endgame content that is entertaining as all hell, and in the live-service space, having that foundation is key.

With all of that, Marathon will not just be well-received critically, but it will carve out a niche of passionate fans that love grinding away for the endgame. Again, it’s not going to be a best seller, and I don’t think Bungie expects it to be. But I think Marathon has a lot more potential in it than people realise.

Sony will finally figure out PS3 emulation for PS5

The PS3 is a ghost that continues to haunt Sony. As the generations have moved on, and now we have subscription models like PS Plus Premium, which let us play decades' worth of games in one place, the PS3’s lack of native play on current consoles sticks out like a sore thumb.

I think (and hope) that 2026 will finally be the year that Sony (and its supporting studios) crack the code on PS3 emulation, unshackling the generation from cloud streaming.

We recently learned that Implicit Conversions (the team responsible for bringing PS1 and PS2 games to PS Plus Premium) believes that PS3 emulation is feasible, and there have been reports that Sony has been working on it for years.

So I think, hope, and dream that we’ll finally see an announcement at some point this year, with a steady influx of PS3 games available to play natively on PS5.

That's enough from us — now it's your turn. What are you expecting to happen in 2026? What do you want to see come to pass? Tell us in the comments section below.