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Sony PlayStation at E3 2017: What to Expect

Sony PlayStation at E3 2017: What to Expect

By Rishi Alwani | Updated: 9 June 2017 22:16 IST

Highlights

More God of War details are expected
Days Gone could see a release date
Gameplay for The Last of Us Part 2 may be present

Going into E3 2017, the PS4 is solidly besting the Xbox One by a handy 2:1 in the US and 3:1 in Europe. And while the company has tended to overpromise on its E3 showcases, what with crowd pullers like the Final Fantasy VII Remake and Shenmue 3 nowhere to be seen and are nowhere close to hitting the shelves - physical or otherwise, it’s managed to hold its own with an exclusive line-up of PS4 games.

The E3 2017 Sony PlayStation presentation begins at 6pm PDT on June 12 (6:30am IST on June 13). Here’s what to expect.

Microsoft and Xbox at E3 2017: What to Expect

PlayStation 5 or lack thereof

Don't expect to see the PS5 at E3 2017. With the PS4 and PS4 Pro seeing solid sales, it is quite likely that Sony won't be revealing any new hardware this year.

The Last of Us Part 2

Announced at last year’s PlayStation Experience, The Last of Us Part 2 is developed by Naughty Dog. Helmed by Uncharted 4 director Neil Druckmann, with Westworld’s Halley Gross assuming writing duties, little is known of this follow up to 2013’s critical and commercial success. Aside from Druckmann stating that the game will have hate as one of its central themes. E3 2017 could see the world premiere of The Last of Us Part 2’s gameplay and perhaps information on its multiplayer component too.

God of War

Everyone’s favourite genocidal Greek warrior Kratos now sports a sombre and less agitated look, as he finds himself in icy Norse lands complete with skeletons and trolls. E3 2016 saw a stunning reveal combined with revamped combat. With game director Cory Barlog claiming that the game was playable from start to finish in December 2016, it's safe to say we could see even more gameplay and perhaps a release date.

Right now, Uncharted The Lost Legacy is the only game in the second half of the year with a firm release date, God of War might get one as well. Going by past games in the franchise though, it could be a March release.

Gran Turismo Sport
This e-sports-focussed entry in Sony’s long-running racing series had raised some concerns during its initial previews. However, after an extensive beta period that’s changed, with impressive visuals, slick lighting effects, and the tried and tested systems and features that fans know and love.

Traditionally, the Gran Turismo series has sold better in Europe and Asia, so there’s a possibility that Sony could hold off on details until Gamescom 2017, or Tokyo Game Show 2017, and we might not get a release date at E3 2017. It is likely that some of its PS VR features might make an appearance though.

Spider-Man
The upcoming movie Spider-Man Homecoming isn’t the only adventure of the web-slinger to hit screens, as a game is in the works too. It's being developed by Ratchet & Clank studio Insomniac, and you can expect Sony to capitalise on the buzz around the film to push the game. It's all the more likely when you consider that it was a no show at last year’s PlayStation Experience.

Days Gone
Despite its initially generic reveal at E3 2016, Days Gone’s later showings revealed welcome PS4 Pro optimisations, interactive environments, hordes of super fast zombies, and of course, crafting and survival elements. Given how polished it looks at this stage, a release date and a new trailer is probably in the offing at E3 2017.

Other games that could make an appearance include Detroit: Become Human, Knack 2, and a slew of Japanese titles hinted by the company this week.

Our Sony E3 2017 wishlist
While Sony’s E3 2017 event is packed to the gills with games, here are a few issues we hope the company addresses. Chances are slim but hope springs eternal.

PS4 Pro price drop and availability
Sony has said that one in every five PS4s sold is a PS4 Pro, while admitting that it hasn’t been able to keep up with demand. With the Xbox Scorpio due this year, a PS4 Pro price drop and wider availability could be in the offing to combat this. Of course, this depends on what Xbox Scorpio’s price is, when its announced a by Microsoft a couple of days earlier.
A new Vita?
Despite the PS Vita being all but forgotten by Sony, it still has its dedicated fans, and it is a popular platform for indie games. The chances of a new handheld gaming console are slim, and the Vita rarely gets a mention from the company. While that’s unlikely to change at E3 2017, maybe the success of the Nintendo Switch could change that?
Backwards compatibility
Sony thinks no one cares about backwards compatibility but with the commercial performance of Red Dead Redemption and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on the Xbox One proving otherwise, it would be nice to see some of classic PS1, PS2, and PS3 titles made playable on the PS4 without having to splurge on Sony’s PS Now streaming service. What do you want to see from Sony’s E3 2017 conference? Let us know via the comments.

We discussed everything we expect from E3 2017 on our weekly gaming podcast Transition. You can subscribe to it via Apple Podcasts or RSS or just listen to this episode by hitting the play button below.

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Further reading: PS4, PS5, E3, E3 2017, God of War, God of War 4, The Last of Us Part 2, Uncharted The Lost Legacy, Gran Turismo Sport, Spider Man, Days Gone, PS4 backwards compatibility