God of War: Ragnarok, a sequel to the critically acclaimed God of War, is currently slated for a 2021 release for the PlayStation 5. It's currently unclear if the game will be a PS5 exclusive or if it will be released cross-gen -- but the latter would be a huge mistake.
The PS5 is already selling millions of consoles and it's only been out about a month. However, at time of writing, there are very few games that are exclusive to the console -- i.e., not available for the PlayStation 4. Making God of War: Ragnarok a PS5 exclusive would be an effective strategy to get players to upgrade their console. It would also allow the series to move forward, rather than stagnating or moving backward.
The most convincing reason for God of War: Ragnarok to remain a PS5-only game is that it would be effective at showcasing the PS5's true potential. Cross-gen games are notorious for holding back games' potential in order to play properly on the older console. A game tailored specifically to the PS5 would mean quicker loading, more expansive and detailed areas, much-higher fidelity graphics, and other features not possible on the PlayStation 4. The new God of War would end up being a less-ambitious experience if it is a cross-gen title. This would mean that fans would have to wait for a potential third game to really experience a next-gen God of War.
PS5-exclusivity would also mean that Santa Monica Studio could incorporate the DualSense's unique features (such as Haptic Feedback) into God of War: Ragnarok's gameplay experience. The possibilities are exciting: imagine the trigger button locking up Kratos' Leviathan Axe during a boss' attack or different haptic feedback effects depending on what weapon is being used. God of War: Ragnarok could potentially be the game that really sells players on the DualSense's unique features and how they change how games are played.
So yes, God of War: Ragnarok would benefit greatly from being exclusive to the PlayStation 5. Even so, whatever ends up happening with the game, this sequel is going to blow players away. Fans have come to expect revolutionary, near-perfect games from Santa Monica Studio. It's one of Sony's best developers, alongside others like Insomniac and Naughty Dog. Here's hoping that their next entry delivers upon that expectation, even if it means it needs to be delayed past 2021.