Key Takeaways
- Following the recent Korean rating for PS2 horror classic Siren, a PSN backend listing confirms that the game will be re-released for PS5 in October.
- Siren is seemingly being shifted to the PS5’s newer PS2 emulator, and will offer features like up-rendering, rewind, quick saves, and custom video filters.
- Since Siren is currently playable on PS Plus Premium via the old PS2 emulator, the updated PS5 version should be available on the service’s classics catalog as well.
A new leak strongly suggests that Siren will be re-released on the PlayStation Plus Premium classics catalog later this month. This development follows the Korean rating for the PS2 survival horror game that was recently unearthed, prompting speculation about a potential Siren comeback.
Developed by the now-defunct Japan Studio, Siren launched in 2003 and immediately rose to prominence as one of the most challenging horror games on the PS2. Siren‘s intricate plot is centered around a group of strangers with a psychic connection, all of whom find themselves in the mysterious Japanese village of Hanuda. Players have to stealthily fight off immortal monstrosities crawling around Hanuda, all while attempting to uncover the twisted affliction behind them. Two more Siren entries were released in subsequent years, but declining commercial performances ultimately led to the franchise being shelved.
The staggering success of the Resident Evil series has led to calls for a Siren revival in recent years, and last week’s discovery of the Siren rating in Korea ignited hopes for a potential reboot among some fans of the franchise. This doesn’t seem to be the case, though, as website PSDeals just published a listing for a PS5 version of the original Siren. These listings are pulled from the PlayStation Network backend, which definitively means that the Korean Siren rating was alluding to a PS5 re-release rather than an outright reboot or remaster.
Siren is Likely Shifting to the PS5’s Newer PS2 Emulator on PS Plus Premium
Nevertheless, this updated version of Siren is still a curious case, as the game was already playable on PS4 and PS5 via the former’s PS2 emulator and was also available on the PS Plus Premium classics catalog. It seems that Sony is now shifting Siren to the newer PS2 emulator that debuted with the June 2024 PS Plus Premium classics lineup. This is further confirmed by the new Siren listing’s description, as it mentions features like up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters, all of which align with other emulated classics on PS5. The listing also states that Siren will launch for PS5 on October 15, 2024.
While this news might come as a disappointment to Siren fans who wanted to see the PS2 horror classic return in a more modernized form or even with a new entry, it’s at least encouraging that Sony is making efforts to improve the emulation experience on PS5. Moreover, Siren‘s PS5 re-release is timed perfectly in accordance with spooky season, adding yet another compelling option to the long list of horror games launching in October 2024.
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 was Sony’s direct “sequel” to their original PlayStation and stands as one of the best-selling and most beloved consoles of all time. With a catalog of amazing games, it stood strong against the GameCube and Xbox in the sixth-generation of the console wars.
- Brand
- Sony
- Original Release Date
- October 26, 2000
- Original MSRP (USD)
- $299, £299
- Weight
- 4.85 lb
