New Ghostbusters footage flexes power of Sony's real-time games engine tech

What would a next-gen Ghostbusters game look like on PlayStation 5? Sony answers the question with an incredible new demo.

At SIGGRAPH 2023, Sony Pictures Entertainment showcased an impressive new bit of Ghostbusters footage that captures the classic '80s spirit from the original with the kinds of graphics you'd expect to see in a PS5 game. Sony's demo demonstrated the power and capabilities of its real-time visual effect technology, and is a collaborative effort that was created in conjunction with PlayStation Studios, Epic Games, Pixomondo and Ghost Corps, the division specifically made to handle the Ghostbusters franchise.

The demo is just a project and is not indicative of a new Ghostbusters game--it's more of a spectacle that shows what Sony Pictures Entertainment can pull off when collaborating with other entertainment divisions.

The footage is a humorous romp in ghost-ridden paranormal New York City, showing a weathered and worn Ecto-1 speeding through some eye-opening environments and locales. The reflections on the cars look immaculate, and the generated NPCs--which may or may not be based on Epic's Metahumans--also look pretty dynamic. At the end, we see the Ecto-1 take out what appears to be the son of the Stay Puft marshmallow man from the first movie.

The footage itself is a small demo that seems to use assets, visuals, and atmospheric/lighting effects that are reminiscent of the explosive Matrix Awakens experience on PlayStation 5.

While Sony has not confirmed or announced a new Ghostbusters game for the PS5, the company's PlayStation games division is currently ramping up production on a number of new games.