The shocking reveal of Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart saw the comeback of two memorable PlayStation characters, with the robot and the Lombax enveloped by graphics more advanced than the franchise has ever witnessed before. However, the smooth and detailed visuals certainly came at a cost as the game’s developers, Insomniac Games, has announced that Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart will be a PlayStation 5 exclusive.
Despite the studio recently showing love to PlayStation 4 owners by confirming they would still be able to access PlayStation 5’s Spider-Man Remastered suits, Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart will not be available for players on a PlayStation 4.
The game was supposedly developed solely for Sony’s next-gen console to utilize its new features, which could be one of the reasons a current-gen edition was not considered. While 3D Audio and DualSense technology are possibly utilized by the game, the visuals are the reasonable cause of its exclusivity to the PlayStation 5.
With Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart taking advantage of ray tracing and running at 60FPS, it is apparent that the game will not run properly on the PlayStation 4. However, it is worth noting that Insomniac Games has yet to give players an official press release stating the reason why the game is exclusive to the PlayStation 5.
The news came from the developer’s official Twitter account replying to a fan who asked if the latest installment to the Ratchet and Clank franchise would be released on the PlayStation 4 as well. The developer’s short reply of “it’s a PS5 exclusive” is all fans were provided in response, leaving them to come up with their own speculations as to why this has become the case.
This announcement, while not totally unexpected, could be regarded by fans as Sony discontinuing the PlayStation 4 for the PlayStation 5 despite Sony’s CEO stating that this will never happen. However, with another PlayStation higher up revealing that they “believe in generations,” it appears like the company is advancing their exclusives on a case by case basis.
@insomniacgames Hey guys, I'm not sure if you've already announced this but I was curious. Will R&C Rift Apart be coming to PS4 as well or just the PS5?
— MC DC (Sidharth) (@Spidey889) November 2, 2020
Sackboy: A Big Adventure and Spider-Man: Miles Morales might be cross-platform, but games such as Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart will make use of the full capability of the PlayStation 5 and will only be playable on the next-gen console.
While it is unknown how gamers will respond to this announcement, Ratchet and Clank fans that are planning to buy a PlayStation 5 certainly has a lot to look forward to. With the game’s gameplay showcased at Gamescom showing its new combat system and portal focused traversal, and the original trailer reveal introducing a new Lombax to the game, longtime fans of the franchise will certainly be happy to see how the game has evolved along with the PlayStation console.
With no official launch date yet, fans will probably get more updates on the upcoming game in the near future.
