What could the PlayStation 5’s first fighting game have in store?

PlayStation 5’s first fighting game is still a mystery even after last week's Japan Fighting Game Publishers Roundtable, where a handful of companies came out to share the latest and upcoming news about their games. Among all the announcements was the revelation that Guilty Gear -Strive- will also be coming to the PlayStation 5 and PC.

As the first developer to confirm the release of a fighting game for the next-gen console, Arc System Works has eased the fear that we wouldn't be getting any on the platform for a long time, meaning they more than likely won't publish the PlayStation 5’s first fighting game. While we certainly will be seeing the likes of the next Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat release on the PS5, they could very well be years away from launching. 

Sony also revealed in a PlayStation Blog post that fans would be able to use official peripherals, PlayStation VR, and other accessories with the upcoming console. This means many of us won't have to start thinking about buying new fightsticks, but the DualShock 4 is a different story. 

The PS5 is full of new technologies that vastly improve the immersion of gamers, and this includes its controller. The DualSense PS5 controller will feature haptic feedback that simulates touch, adaptive triggers that mimic resistance, 3D audio, and even a microphone. With the intent to provide players with new experiences, all PS5 games will not be compatible with DualShock 4. This design decision ensures that all PS5 games can take advantage of all DualSense has to offer. 

Better on PS5

It means that Guilty Gear -Strive- on PS5 could launch with features the PS4 version can only dream of. However, while these features will enrich the experience of playing on the PS5 (if the developers choose to implement them), crossplay between all or most versions of the game would mean that the differences between both won't impact actual gameplay directly. 

The PS5's load speed is also an interesting area with regard to crossplay, as players on the next-gen console could find themselves losing the value of faster load times when facing players on other platforms. All this is simply speculation for now, but that's the routine after any big announcement. What we do know, though, is that Guilty Gear -Strive- is the only fighting game confirmed for the PlayStation 5 right now, but, once again, it's doubtful that it will be the PlayStation 5’s first fighting game. 

During the roundtable livestream, announcements were made for a couple of other games. Both Tekken 7 and Samurai Shodown revealed new Season Passes, while the former will also be launching an online tournament circuit called Tekken Online Challenge. The SoulCalibur Online Challenge was announced as well, along with the ARCREVO Online 2020 tournament series for both America and Japan. 

Dragon Ball FighterZ, Granblue Fantasy Versus, and Street Fighter V all have announcements coming up later in the month. Also, Guilty Gear -Strive- released a trailer for returning character Leo Whitefang and the new character Nagoriyuki. The latter is a vampire samurai that's got quite the reach but is a bit slow and appears to switch between two forms. 

Guilty Gear -Strive- had initially been set to release later this year, but it's now delayed until 2021.