Sony's recent "Meet the Future" press conference focused on games for the company's upcoming PlayStation 5 and teased what people will be able to dig into in the early days of the console, including Horizon: Forbidden West, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Stray, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and many, many more games. However, while the press conference spent much time praising the console and the various opportunities it presents developers, something was left unsaid despite appearing at every turn: Diversity.
The topic of diversity has been a major one in gaming, a hobby that has often catered to straight, white men and provided them with power fantasies in which they're able to prove themselves competent through feats impossible in the real world. In recent years, though, developers have increasingly focused on diverse protagonists and unique gameplay, which has generally reaped dividends in terms of sales and critical acclaim. PlayStation 5's early line-up shows Sony is aiming to tap into diversity both of players and content to set itself apart from the competition.
Take, for example, Spider-Man: Miles Morales. While Miles was an integral part of the original Marvel's Spider-Man on PS4, he was only playable for a brief section of the game. The end of Marvel's Spider-Man, however, teased Miles getting powers of his own, and it's clear the upcoming PlayStation 5 game is going to deliver on that promise and put players in his shoes. Miles, who is Afro-Latinx, will present a new demographic of players with the opportunity to play a superhero like themselves, and everyone will be able to see New York through his eyes and experiences.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, meanwhile, looks to take the titular team and make its Lombax member female. While it's unclear just how big of a role this female Lombax will play in the game, it seems unlikely Insomniac Games is emphasizing this character's role only to sideline her at its earliest convenience. Although Ratchet & Clank as a series has been going on since 2002, the introduction of this female Lombax presents an opportunity to shake up the game and its story in a major way.
Those games are just two examples of how diversity was showcased in the "Meet the Future" press conference. There were certainly a lot of games starring white, male protagonists, but there were so many games starring women and people of color, showing Sony and its various developers understand the selling power of increasing diversity. By showcasing diversity so prominently without drawing explicit attention to the act, Sony is refuting the erroneous adage "get woke, go broke." The company seems to understand that inviting people from various backgrounds into its gaming world is great for profit, and it's treating diversity as the standard.
However, it's also important to note this diversity doesn't just extend to its characters. Sony also showed off a lot of games of varying styles, telling players that it's got what they want, regardless of just what they like. Platformers, action games, shooters, puzzlers and more had trailers, many of which had interesting choice in regards to their protagonists, settings and mechanics. The visual styles of many of the games were also incredibly unique. While some leaned into the PlayStation 5's ability to process realistic graphics, others opted for more stylized takes, like what one might seen in more colorful games like Overwatch and Fortnite. That diversity of product is integral to ensuring the console succeeds and has a large, varied player base that's satisfied with its choice.
Despite this praise, the reveal wasn't perfect in terms of representation, though some of those problems can be chalked up to not being able to go into every offering. It's unclear, for example, how the PlayStation 5's early line-up will approach LGBTQIA+ people and those with disabilities. There also didn't seem to be much diversity in terms of human body shape and size, and some games from the press conference still engage in cultural appropriation and violence against women. This is also gaming, and there's a very real possibility these potentially diverse games might not live up to the promises of their trailers.
Still, much of Sony's press conference put diversity at the forefront, and while that's always bound up with attempts to appeal to more groups for the purposes of sales, this does give a good indication the future of gaming on the platform is more than just another cavalcade of offerings focused on white men with brown hair.
The PlayStation 5 will release later this year.