Hi-Fi Rush Announced for PS5

Bethesda confirmed this week plans to release Hi-Fi Rush for the PlayStation 5, a release that was revealed through an unlisted YouTube trailer which was soon taken down. The game's multi-platform release has been one of the worst kept secrets in gaming, and fans had been expecting an announcement over the last few months. Not only has the news finally been confirmed, but we have a release date for the PS5 version of the game, too. It's scheduled to be released on March 18th for the PlayStation console, though there's been no word shared yet of plans to bring it to the Nintendo Switch.

Last week, Xbox boss Phil Spencer revealed that four of the company's exclusive games will be coming to PlayStation and Nintendo platforms. Hi-Fi Rush was widely assumed to be one of those games, while rumors suggest that Pentiment will also get released. Xbox might be making some of its exclusives more widely available, but the company has confirmed that there are no plans to port some of its biggest titles; Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are planned to remain Xbox exclusive. Another Xbox exclusive, Grounded, was, however, confirmed for the Nintendo Switch.

The trailer in question was previously available here through the Bethesda Softworks LATAM channel. After it was discovered and shared on socials as an unlisted video, the PS5 trailer was made private.

Why Hi-Fi Rush on PS5 is a Big Deal

Developed by Tango Gameworks, Hi-Fi Rush is a rhythm action game where players take on the role of Chai. When getting a cybernetic arm from Vandelay Technologies, Chai's music player accidentally gets implanted in his chest. The game puts a heavy emphasis on music, and players are rewarded by defeating enemies to the beat (though it's not required). Chai quickly discovers that Vandelay is a lot more evil than he believed, and he quickly becomes part of a resistance movement, alongside several other quirky characters, including the robotic cat 808. 

Hi-Fi Rush quickly proved to be one of Xbox's most unique first-party titles. The game received strong critical praise, and was nominated for several awards at The Game Awards 2023, where it won Best Audio Design. Unfortunately, Hi-Fi Rush sales reportedly weren't as strong as Microsoft was expecting. However, now that the game is confirmed for multiple platforms, there's a much better chance that it will find a bigger audience, which could possibly result in a sequel! 

About Tango Gameworks

Hi-Fi Rush wasn't just a surprising announcement from Microsoft, it was also very much unlike what had been seen previously from Tango Gameworks. The studio was founded in 2010 by Shinji Mikami, the director of the original Resident Evil. Unsurprisingly, the majority of the studio's games have centered around the horror genre, including The Evil Within, The Evil Within 2, and Ghostwire: Tokyo. Hi-Fi Rush proved that Tango Gameworks is capable of more than just horror, and the game has made the team one Xbox's most exciting internal studios. 

Are you happy to finally see Hi-Fi Rush announced for the PS5? Do you plan on playing the game? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!