Summary
- Sony has explained its PC port strategy.
- Live-service games will be launched simultaneously on PS5 and PC to attract players on both platforms.
- PC ports are designed to introduce PC gamers to PlayStation exclusives, enticing them to purchase a PS5 for the next installment.
Future PlayStation co-CEO Herman Hulst recently gave some insight into Sony's PC ports and the rationale behind choosing which games to send over. While first-party PlayStation games have remained exclusive to their respective consoles in past generations, Sony has started to branch out into the PC market in recent years. It all started with the release of Horizon Zero Dawn on PC in 2020, although the Kojima Productions-developed PS-exclusive Death Stranding technically made the jump a month before. Since then, PlayStation first-party titles like Days Gone, 2014’s God of War, and Marvel’s Spider-Man have been ported to PC via outlets like Steam.
So far, 2024 has continued this wave of PlayStation PC releases, starting with the launch of Helldivers 2 on both PS5 and PC in February. A month later, Horizon Forbidden West would follow its predecessor by being ported to PC two years after its PS5 debut. Just a few days later, The Last of Us launched on PC, fresh on the heels of the successful live-action HBO series. Finally, Sucker Punch’s hit 2020 open-world samurai title Ghost of Tsushima was ported to PC earlier this month, gaining warm reviews and record-breaking player counts on Steam.
Earlier this week, future PlayStation co-CEO Herman Hulst discussed his company’s strategy for PC ports during a PlayStation business briefing, with a clip shared on Twitter by Verge editor Tom Warren. Hulst explained that Sony is taking a two-pronged approach in its PC ports, with live-service titles like Helldivers 2 being launched simultaneously on PS5 and PC to draw in players on both platforms. As for PlayStation’s story-focused first-party games, which Hulst described as the “backbone” of the company, he says that they aim to use these ports to draw new players towards the PS5.
Future PlayStation Co-CEO Explains Company’s Two-Pronged PC Strategy
This would explain why recent PlayStation PC ports tend to be older titles with sequels still exclusive to PS5. For example, PC gamers could try out 2014’s God of War, then want to get a PS5 to continue Kratos and Atreus’s story in God of War Ragnarok. Meanwhile, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered and Spider-Man: Miles Morales were ported to PC in 2022, a year before Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 swung onto the PS5. As Hurst stated, the plan seems to be getting PC gamers interested in the first installment of a franchise in hopes that they will buy a PS5 for the follow-up.
Rumors have claimed that Sony would announce PC ports for PlayStation titles like Demon's Souls, God of War Ragnarok, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and The Last of Us Part 2 later this year. While these are still just rumors, it is worth pointing out that they correctly predicted the Ghost of Tsushima port, and insiders now believe that a God of War Ragnarok port could be revealed soon - perhaps during the upcoming PlayStation State of Play livestream.
PS5
- Brand
- Sony
Sony's PlayStation 5 is part of the ninth console generation and debuted with a launch lineup that included Demon's Souls and Astro's Playroom. The console comes with a Blu-ray disc, although a digital-only edition is also available for a cheaper price.
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info- Storage
- 825 GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
- Resolution
- Max 8K (4k at 120 Hz playable)
- Ports
- 2x USB-C, 2x USB 3.1, and 1x Ethernet
- Original Release Date
- November 12, 2020
- Hardware Versions
- PS5
- Original MSRP (USD)
- Disc Edition: $499.99; Digital Edition: $399.99
- Weight
- Disc Edition: 9.9 LBS; Digital Edition: 8.6 LBS
- Dimensions
- 15.4 in × 10.2 in × 4.1 in
- Processor
- AMD Zen 2, 8-core / 16 threads, 3.5GHz