2025 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years for gaming yet, with Nintendo planning to launch the sequel console to their massively successful Nintendo Switch, Playstation releasing a suite of new and appealing exclusives, Xbox sharing its exclusives far and wide, and some of these most anticipated games of all time, such as Grand Theft Auto VI and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, finally releasing this year.
Nintendo: After over eight years and over 150 million units sold, the Nintendo Switch is finally getting a true successor: the Nintendo Switch 2. While little beyond a quick teaser has been shown off by Nintendo—with a presentation on April 2 to give a more in-depth look—leaks, insider info, and patents have revealed quite a bit of information. The console is expected to have between the amount of power of a PlayStation 4 and the amount of power of a Playstation 4 Pro, but it will likely cost far less and be packed full of highly anticipated exclusives, such as the first brand-new Mario Kart in over a decade. Another highly anticipated game is Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, which was first revealed in 2017; it is finally expected to be released this year as a likely cross-generation launch title for the Switch 2. With how popular and beloved the original Switch was, the sequel is destined for success, and this year is shaping up to be one of the best for Nintendo fans in quite some time. If you are debating whether you should buy the new Nintendo
PlayStation: This year, they plan to release a suite of exclusives, with highly anticipated sequels Ghost of Yotei and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach expected to come out. While PS5 took a while to get up and running, it is slowly gaining an ever-increasing library of strong exclusives along with quality titles from third parties. Without the PlayStation 6 expected to come out any time soon, the PlayStation 5 owners are safe with more exclusive games they can enjoy for themselves. Overall, similarly to Nintendo, this year looks like a great year for PlayStation fans.
Xbox: In 2025, Xbox is taking a very different route than the other major consoles by dropping the exclusivity of some of its titles. For example, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, an assembly of some of Xbox’s most recognizable and exclusive games, is set to release on PS5 and potentially even the upcoming Switch 2. This decision joins a series of equally baffling past choices made by Microsoft to degrade the exclusivity of Xbox titles and remove most reasons to purchase an Xbox console. It seems that Xbox is willingly taking the path that Sega took in the 2000s, and without major changes, it seems likely that Xbox will soon meet its fate and lose its grip on the console market. Though some feel that Xbox is too big to fail due to it being backed by Microsoft, it is only a matter of time before we see if that backing will be enough to prevent these decisions from destroying the brand.
Other: Outside of the big console players, there are other upcoming releases of equal importance. First and foremost, the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) is set to release this year, but it faces a big issue: pricing. For years, the cost of video games has been increasing, with most studios launching their base version of a game at a minimum of $70 (excluding Nintendo, whose games are usually $60). However, Rockstar Games has spent a large amount of money on GTA 6, and there have been talks of the game having a price point of upwards of $100 for the base version. Not only is this greedy and predatory, but it also sets a dangerous standard for the industry that could price out many people from playing modern games. On a more positive note, Valve continually acts as a shining light in the gaming world. From outlawing games containing advertisements on their video game storefront, Steam, to allowing handhelds other than their own Steam Deck access to their SteamOS, to releasing the entire source code to the fan-favorite Team Fortress 2 for all to see, Valve has done plenty worthy of praise. But even more exciting are their titles in development, Deadlock and a project rumored to be a new entry in the beloved Half-Life series (though the prospect of a 2025 release for either of these may be optimistic). Aside from this, popular live service games such as Fortnite and Marvel Rivals continue to see high player counts and exciting new content and plenty of other exciting games are set to release in 2025, like new Monster Hunter, Doom, and Assassin’s Creed games.
Of course, that is just a sliver of what gaming has in store in 2025. With so many game studios, large and small, with teams of hundreds and teams of ones, all releasing titles, it is impossible to cover them all. But whoever you are, there’s something you’ll like coming your way soon.