According to a recent report by Jason Schreier at Bloomberg, it appears that Sony is calling off its effort to expand its library of top-tier PS5 first party games onto PCs. For the last six years, developers have ported their best-known first-party single-player games, such as Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and The Last of Us Part I, from consoles onto Steam, thereby providing PlayStation properties with exposure to the vast PC gaming community.
However, the report indicates that Sony is returning to its historically console-centric business approach.
Sony Reportedly Cancels PC Plans for Upcoming PS5 First Party Games
Image via Sucker Punch.
Sony has cancelled its planned releases of PC versions for their upcoming PS5 first party games as well as some existing PS4 titles that are expected to be ported. Recent reports indicate that Sony will no longer launch PC versions for major new single player releases.
Ghost of Yotei is one of the most significant to be cancelled. This highly awaited sequel to Ghost of Tsushima was expected to follow its predecessor’s path and be released on PC following its PS5 release. However, it appears that the internal cancellation of the planned PC version has already happened.
Saros is another project from Housemarque, the studio behind Returnal, that appears, will only exist on PlayStation 5 and will not be released on PC.
It looks like the recent shift by Sony only applies to their PlayStation Studios’ larger single-player titles. Other exclusives, such as Insomniac’s Marvel’s Wolverine, may also continue to stay exclusive to PlayStation.
That said, Sony is not abandoning PCs entirely. Multiplayer and live-service titles will still launch across multiple platforms. Games such as Bungie’s Marathon and the fighting title Marvel Tokon are expected to release on PC alongside consoles, largely because online games depend on large player bases.
Weak PC Sales and Brand Concerns May Have Triggered the Shift
Image via Santa Monica Studios.
Several factors appear to be driving Sony’s decision. One of the biggest reasons reportedly involves disappointing sales performance for PlayStation titles on PC.
Early releases like Horizon Zero Dawn and God of War generated strong interest, but the momentum has slowed in recent years. Sequels such as Horizon Forbidden West, God of War Ragnarök, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 reportedly saw lower engagement on Steam compared to earlier PlayStation ports.
Because Sony typically waits a year or longer before releasing its games on PC, many players who want to experience these titles often buy them on PlayStation first. As a result, delayed PC launches have struggled to maintain the same level of hype.
Internal questions exist regarding the effect of releasing exclusives on PC potentially devaluing PlayStation’s primary advantage, its console ecosystem. Executives are concerned that allowing flagship games to be played on a computer will reduce the appeal of purchasing PlayStation consoles for new products in the next generation of hardware being released soon.
While these exclusives will still be released for PCs by third-party publishers like Canux Digital and 505 Games, there are chances of PlayStation’s more notable titles, such as Death Stranding 2 and Kena: Scars of Kosmora, being released on PC in spite of being published by PlayStation.
As things stand today, however, the message out of Sony is clear: single-player blockbusters that have built the PlayStation brand will, again, be tied to the console that has helped them grow in stature.
