While 2025 has been a massive year for gaming already, some of the most exciting announcements came from games that we don’t get to see for ourselves for many years down the line. Combined with the fact that companies like Sony are already gearing up for the next console generation in 2027-2028, there’s an even higher chance that many of these upcoming games will find themselves on future hardware.
Even if you’re not quite ready to upgrade to a next-gen system just yet, these titles will still be enjoyable on modern systems, but could be taken to even greater heights with the hardware available in 2028 and beyond. From franchises years in the making already or have only just had their first tease about what’s to come, there are plenty of games that could pave the way for the next generation of consoles.
Fallout 5 Is Coming, But We’re In For A Wait
Better late than never
Bethesda recently outlined its plans for the future in what appears to be an attempt to distract gamers from the brutal layoffs currently going on at Microsoft. In a lengthy post on social media, it was confirmed that Starfield will continue, The Elder Scrolls 6 is on schedule (although exactly what that schedule is we have no idea), and Fallout 5 is in pre-production.
Fallout 5 will, of course, end up being a PlayStation 6/Xbox Project Helix title. Heck, given Xbox’s current scattershot approach to console exclusivity, it may well end up as a Project Helix exclusive. We have absolutely no idea at this stage, but we can be sure it’ll be coming to next-gen consoles and not PS5/Xbox Series. It was also confirmed that Obsidian is working on a new Fallout game, which I imagine will be next-gen. The now-confirmed remakes of Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas, meanwhile, will probably land sooner rather than later.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Could Push The PlayStation To Its Limits
We’d be amazed if this hits PS5
Being the first original franchise from the studio behind PlayStation’s ever iconic The Last of Us series, Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet has a lot of expectations to live up to when it releases in mid 2027 or beyond. While there’s still a chance that Intergalactic might still release at the tail end of the current PlayStation 5’s lifespan, the lack of any official announcement isn’t doing it any favors.
Based on Naughty Dog’s treatment of The Last of Us Part 1 and Part 2, even if Intergalactic does end up coming out before the next generation of console releases, it wouldn’t be surprising for the studio to have already prepared a PlayStation 6 upgrade when the upcoming system does inevitably drop.
Dead Island 3 Could Be The Best The Franchise Has Seen
Next-gen zombies
Having been confirmed for development already and with Dambuster Studios rumored to be shooting for an early 2028 release, Dead Island 3 could be arriving at the perfect time to take advantage of the next-generation console wave. Compared to the decade-long wait after Dead Island 2 was originally announced, the shorter time between the 2024 release and Dead Island 3 is an even greater sign of what’s to come.
Having found their footing in the fairly positively received successor that looks drop-dead gorgeous on its own, it’s more than a little exciting to see just how detailed a next-generation entry in the iconic and brutal zombie franchise will look.
Divinity Could Take Full Advantage Of Next-Gen Hardware
Strap in for a wait
With Larian Studios going back to developing a sequel for their own in-house RPG franchise with Divinity, there’s far less pressure when it comes to rushing the game out before the next console generation. Given that the initial reveal trailer only showed an animated trailer and the lack of any word on a potential release window, it’s safe to say that Divinity won’t be releasing anytime soon.
As Larian’s latest RPG aiming to be even bigger and better than the previously massive Baldur’s Gate 3, the upcoming release of Divinity, and its turn-based gameplay systems are more likely to be playable sometime in 2027 for its speculated early-access edition, and even further beyond for a full release.
The Witcher 4 Could Definitely Use The Greater Hardware Strength
Wind’s howling
Despite releasing on last-generation systems, The Witcher 3 is still a visually stunning experience that has great gameplay to back it up, with the upcoming release of The Witcher 4 having even more potential to push next-generation hardware to its limits. Although there was some hope of an early release next year on current systems, rumors suggest it’s more likely that The Witcher 4 will arrive sometime in late 2027 at the earliest.
Rumors suggest it’s more likely that The Witcher 4 will arrive sometime in late 2027 at the earliest.
Having already shown off some impressive tech demos for the latest entry in The Witcher saga, Ciri’s new saga already looks like one of CD Project Red’s most visually ambitious projects to date, which is more than likely to at least get a next-generation update even if it comes out before the PlayStation 6 and next Xbox hit shelves.
GTA 6 Will Definitely Get A Next-Gen Re-Release
Absolutely inevitable
Unless we get a sudden string of unfortunate delays, Grand Theft Auto 6 is still aiming for a release on modern systems in the next year or so, you can absolutely expect a next-generation edition to hit storefronts soon after release. Even if GTA 6 isn’t likely to be a drastically different experience on the updated hardware, that doesn’t mean it won’t have a few special features in store for players.
While you can already expect the standard graphical upgrades and visual improvements that take advantage of the new hardware, we might even see the addition of brand-new features, similar to GTA V‘s introduction of a first-person mode or character transfers to take full advantage of the updated experience from its next-generation Enhanced Edition.
We can see the vision
Even though it’s felt like forever since The Elder Scrolls 6 was initially announced, it’s still more than a few years away from being in a playable state. With no official release window in sight and a projected release date as far as 2028 or beyond, you can rest assured that TES6 will more than likely be taking full advantage of next-generation hardware when it releases.
Based on TES6’s development cycle and that Fallout 5‘s development won’t start in full until after release, the next Fallout game will 100% be launching long after the next-generation of consoles arrives.
Although Bethesda has been relatively silent about TES6‘s development outside a few strange confirmations, there’s no telling what the next ambitious open-world RPG in the franchise will have to offer.
Star Wars Jedi 3 Could Mark Both The End And Beginning Of An Era
Search your feelings, you know it to be true
Despite moving towards focusing on multiplayer-only titles by Electronic Arts, the beloved Jedi series has thankfully been a strange exception to the directional shift. With impressive sales figures for both Jedi: Survivor and its predecessor, it’s not hard to see why EA is putting so much faith in the single-player sci-fi series, which is speculated to get its final entry in late 2027 or beyond.
Although we haven’t heard much about the rumored Jedi 3 project so far, we do know that it’s still in active development by Respawn despite their recent layoffs. While there’s no telling what’s in store for Cal Kestis in the final entry of his gaming trilogy, it seems fairly safe to assume it will be released on next-generation titles when it eventually arrives.
BioWare’s Mass Effect 5 Is Still In The Early Stages Of Development
My favorite sequel in the citadel
With Mass Effect 5 still only entering the early stages of development, the long-awaited return of the beloved sci-fi RPG franchise is rumored to have a release window sometime around 2028–2029. While there’s no official confirmation one way or the other about when BioWare’s next big RPG will be playable for yourself, it’s practically guaranteed to release during the next-generation of consoles.
Even if the optimistic release figure is accurate, the return of Mass Effect and its rumored paragon system won’t be playable for a long while. Despite the agonizing wait, the window will hopefully give BioWare all the time they need to refine the experience and offer a next-generation title that long-time fans of the series deserve, especially after the controversial release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
Star Wars: Fate Of The Old Republic Will Be More Than Worth The Wait
We can’t wait for this one
While there were plenty of rumors circulating that Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic wouldn’t be released until 2030, its developers gave a relieving update that it would likely arrive much sooner than expected. With the massive scope of an RPG like Fate of the Old Republic already having a long development cycle, it’s hard to imagine the upcoming sequel aiming to release solely for the current console generation.
Considering how long we’ve been waiting to see a modern remake of the original Knights of the Old Republic, having its latest sequel released on next-generation systems would be a major win for the series, which will most likely be the case as Fate of the Old Republic will almost definitely be arriving well after the next generation of consoles makes their debut.