Was The PlayStation Showcase a Huge Disappointment?

This week, the PlayStation Showcase was broadcasted all around the world, revealing countless trailers to eagerly-awaiting fans. There were new games uncovered, and for some previously-announced titles, brand-new trailers were revealed during the showcase. However, there’s a general concern circulating online that suggests the PlayStation Showcase was less than impressive, with the consensus being that the event was – for want of a clear term – a huge disappointment.

There may have been some impressive trailers – including some that revealed long-awaited and widely-rumoured titles – but was it enough to satiate PlayStation gamers? For some, too many ‘multi-platform’ games were revealed, and far too few first-party exclusives made the showcase. There were several games that were expected to make an appearance that simply didn’t, leaving some fans feeling a little empty and disappointed with the entire show.

And for some, there were just too many flashes of PlayStation icons backed up by Jim Ryan’s monologues.

What Was Revealed During The PlayStation Showcase?

One of the most important reveals during the showcase was Metal Gear Solid Δ, a complete rebuild of 2004’s Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. It’s a faithful recreation of the iconic title, and it was arguably the most hyped-up announcement during the entire show. It was followed up by confirmation that all-new HD remasters of the first three Metal Gear Solid titles will also be released on all consoles, and that’s being released in the Fall of 2023.

There was a trailer that confirmed the release date of Alan Wake 2 – which will be dropping on October 17th, 2023. It’s an atmospheric, gorgeous, and terrifying title that’s guaranteed to bring mystery and intrigue to players the world over, more than ten years after the first game was released. There was also a fantastic reveal for Marathon, Bungie’s new multiplayer extraction shooter that’s essentially a reboot of a game released in 1994.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage secured a new trailer – and a release date, of course. That’ll be released on October 12th, making it a busy month already for gamers. There was a lengthy trailer that showcased gameplay for Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2, which was considered by some to be the crown of the showcase, but there’s still no sign of a release date for the game.

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Sony also revealed ‘Project Q’, a streaming-based handheld device that features an 8-inch screen mounted into a DualSense controller.

Finally, filling the gaps, we saw a new trailer for Final Fantasy XVI, Street Fighter 6, a reveal of Dragon’s Dogma 2, a competitive heist game named Fairgame$, and a Splatoon-like ‘party shooter’ called Foamstars. There’s a new Talos Principle game coming, as well as a Soulslike hack-and-slash RPG by the name of Phantom Blade Zero. Oh, and there’s also a new Helldivers game, a sequel to Ghostrunner, and a PSVR2 mode coming for Resident Evil 4.

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So, why was the PlayStation Showcase considered a disappointment?

Not Enough – It’s Not Enough!

Quite simply, there wasn’t enough first-party content to satisfy PlayStation fans. There was a tongue-in-cheek Tweet posted by Xbox shortly after the showcase, poking fun at the fact that many of the games revealed during the PlayStation Showcase are also coming to Xbox platforms when they release.

Spider-Man 2 still not receiving a release date was enough of a punch to the jaw, but for two years, Insomniac has now also been silent on Marvel’s Wolverine. There was nothing from Guerrilla regarding the Horizon multiplayer project that has been in the works for a couple of years, and there was no mention of a reboot (or otherwise) of the Killzone franchise.

Naughty Dog showed nothing regarding The Last of Us Factions or The Last of Us Part III, or even the future of The Last of Us’ television series. There were rumours of a Twisted Metal game surfacing at the showcase, but that too went by without being revealed. There were no reveals by Sucker Punch, who many are expecting to uncover information regarding Ghost of Tsushima 2, and Death Stranding 2 (admittedly not first-party exclusive) wasn’t covered either.

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There were plenty of holes in the PlayStation Showcase, which many have branded Sony’s worst show ever. Now, it’s up to Xbox to ramp up the expectations of fans when its own showcase drops on June 11th, along with a massive exposé on Starfield. As we approach the warmer months, we’ll be treated to the Summer Games Fest, and all the associated shows dotted around it. Now that E3 is no longer a thing, this is where all the next best games will be revealed.

Hopefully, those shows will be better than the PlayStation Showcase.