As PS5s continue to fly off shelves whenever they’re restocked, PlayStation might be on the verge of relaunching one of its classic franchises, according to a recent report. Wipeout, the futuristic racing game franchise that launched on the original PlayStation console, is likely headed to the PS5, per XboxEra’s Shpeshal Nick. This report, which our sister site ComicBook.com spotted, says that the new installment will be compatible with Sony’s next virtual reality platform, which speculators have unofficially titled PlayStation VR 2.
The project is said to be early in development and will “likely” come from XDev, which has helped publish titles like LittleBigPlanet 3, Heavy Rain, Until Dawn, Beyond: Two Souls and Detroit: Become Human. XDec notably worked alongside Clever Beans and Creative Vault Studios on Wipeout Omega Collection, which bundles remastered versions of 2008’s Wipeout HD and 2012’s Wipeout 2048. Working on that 2017 project would be the perfect entryway into developing a new game in the Wipeout franchise. There is also speculation that Firesprite Games could be involved.
Videos by PopCulture.com
You know what? Screw it. I’ll risk pissing someone off. Don’t wanna get scooped again. Been told Wipeout is coming back. Planned to be a VR2/PS5 title. Most likely an XDEV project. Still early in the project.
— Nick (@Shpeshal_Nick) August 11, 2021
Wipeout’s first game debuted in 1995 on PlayStation and MS-DOS and soon came to the Sega Saturn in 1996. The game was a hit, spawning nine sequels. Aside from the ones mentioned above, the franchise also includes 1996’s Wipeout 2097, 1998’s Wipeout 64, 1999’s Wipeout 3, 2002’s Wipeout Fusion, 2005’s Wipeout Pure and 2007’s Wipeout Pulse.
Of course, Sony has not commented on the report as of press time. No official announcements about the Wipeout franchise’s future have been made recently. Furthermore, official details on PlayStation VR 2 are not available.
While we still have to wait for more information on this PlayStation 5 Wipeout game, there are plenty of other games you can use to scratch your inch for ’90s racers in the meantime. Options include Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Switch), Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (multi-platform) and the upcoming Cruis’n Blast (Nintendo Switch). If you’re looking for something more in the vein of Wipeout, the futuristic racer Ion Driver recently dropped on PS4.
