The 5 biggest things to expect from PlayStation in 2019

1. The PlayStation 5 is likely to get announced.

It's true: Sony has already announced its ongoing work on a successor to its current game console, the PlayStation 4 — which it may have already hinted will be called (what else) the PlayStation 5.

Starting as early as May 2018, Sony executives were openly discussing work on the new console. And with PlayStation skipping the game industry's annual June trade show, E3, for the first time ever, it's entirely possible that the company will hold its own event specifically to announce the next PlayStation.

That said, we know little about what the console will be. We do know that it might not arrive until 2021.

"We will use the next three years to prepare the next step," PlayStation head John Kodera said in May.

Here's what we expect from the next PlayStation console:

1. More horsepower, offering 4K/HDR support natively and, likely, support for G-Sync/FreeSync.
2. Backwards compatibility: Support for PlayStation 4 games, and potentially more.
3. A new, more powerful virtual reality headset.
4. An evolution of the PlayStation Now streaming service, potentially with PlayStation 5 games outright streamable.

2. The last few major exclusive games for the PlayStation 4, starting with "Days Gone."

"Days Gone" is shaping up to be something like "Sons of Anarchy" meets "28 Days Later." You play as a lone biker surviving in the wake of a global pandemic. Billions were wiped out, and many millions more became "freakers" — that's zombies to you and me.

As if zombies weren't scary enough, "Days Gone" turns them into a water-like mass capable of flooding into corridors with the speed and fury of a tsunami. They're a far more overwhelming threat than the "Night of the Living Dead" zombies in games like "Resident Evil."

That is, of course, when you're not riding away on your sweet hog — which is always an option.

"Days Gone" is the first major PlayStation 4 exclusive scheduled to arrive in 2019, on April 26.

Check out the latest trailer for "Days Gone" right here:

3. "The Last of Us: Part II"

The folks behind the Indiana Jones-esque blockbuster third-person action "Uncharted" series are true veterans of video game creation. The studio, Naughty Dog, goes all the way back to the first PlayStation console, having created the beloved "Crash Bandicoot" series.

Beyond those two (massive) game franchises, Naughty Dog is also responsible for the incredible, genre-pushing PlayStation game "The Last of Us." Naughty Dog's next game is a highly anticipated follow-up, the aptly-titled "The Last of Us: Part II."

In "Part II," the duo of protagonists Joel and Ellie are making a return, but this new game looks to focus more on Ellie and her story following the events of the first game. As you can see above, she's looking older, tougher, and madder.

"The Last of Us: Part II" doesn't have a release date, but given how long the game has been in development, we expect it'll arrive in 2019.

Check out the latest trailer for "The Last of Us: Part II" right here:

4. "Death Stranding"

What is "Death Stranding"? That's a great question. Even though we've seen several trailers for the game, we still have little to no idea what it actually is.

Here's what we know for sure:

— The game is being created by "Metal Gear" series creative lead Hideo Kojima, a legendary figure in the video game business.
— It stars Norman Reedus, of "The Walking Dead" fame. He's the main character. Mads Mikkelsen, a Danish actor perhaps best known as the bad guy from "Casino Royale," appears to be the antagonist.
— The game is a collaboration between Hideo Kojima and famed film director Guillermo del Toro.
— It's being funded by Sony, which means the game is only coming to the PlayStation 4.

Is it a first-person or third-person game? A survival game? Open world, or linear? All of this stuff is still up in the air. Even after seeing the latest trailer, we're no closer to knowing exactly what it is.

All that aside, it's clearly gorgeous and doing something totally different. After years of teasers, "Death Stranding" is widely expected to arrive in 2019.

Check out the latest trailer for "Death Stranding" right here:

5. "Dreams"

The British studio behind "Dreams," Media Molecule, is most well-known for its previous franchise: "LittleBigPlanet."

Like that series, "Dreams" focuses on letting players create their own game worlds. Also like the "LBP" series, "Dreams" offers a straightforward campaign that's intended to introduce the kinds of worlds that players can create.

What that actually means in practice is far more complex. "Dreams" is almost more of a tool than a game, but you're also able to buy it and play creations from other players without ever actually creating anything yourself.

The game doesn't have a firm release date just yet, but Media Molecule put a 2019 release window on it not too long ago.

Check out the latest trailer for "Dreams" right here: