PlayStation Aims to Entice PC Gamers to Play Single-Player Sequels on Consoles

Sony aims to release live service PlayStation games day & date on PC and PS5, but single-player games will have more "strategic approach."

[-Foxtrot]

How? I’m sorry but how when they literally port their games to the PC now after not even 2 years, it’s rumored GoW Ragnarok is next.

The best thing they could have done is focus on the generation before with PS3 / PS4 titles and when it got to the PS6 then start porting PS5 games so people will want to get the sequel on the new console

Now PC gamers just wait it out because they know it’s coming

[Redemption-64]

Rock Star does the same thing. Release 1st on consoles, wait a year or two then release on PC. It's clearly a strategy that works for them.

They don't need a lot of PC gamers to move to Playstation, but they just need a few who would also buy into it and possibly double dip. There are some very unhappy gamers on Twitter, who wanted to hear day and date for all games.

[Cacabunga]

Fox
Your analyse is not accurate..

If sony keeps things the way they are then they will grow the business. Some pc gamers who really liked God of War for example might buy PS4 or 5 to play Ragnarok. Same if they announce ghost of tsushima 2 or a new Ratchet game.

[-Foxtrot]

Rockstar?

Yeah I loved playing Red Dead Redemption on PC…….

@Cacabunga

I highly doubt it, PC gamers have their setups, if they didn’t budge for years to get a console despite all the cool exclusives then they aren’t going to budge now knowing a new PS5 game will get a port 2 years later

[Crows90]

@cacbunga

Basically you're functioning under the assumption that PC players are impatient, rich and stupid.

Most will not budge. But if the hype is real enough they'll get a few. But those few won't actually be invested in the platform.

[shinoff2183]

Those unhappy gamers will just have to suck it up. I'm sure Sony sees how thats worked out for Xbox. Why tf would they follow in their footsteps

[thorstein]

How?

According to Sony, by co launching live service games like Helldivers2 day one, then enticing PC players to want to play sequels on the console for SP games.

That's how. If you play Ghost of Tsushima and Sony launches GoT 2 on PS later this year, you're more apt to want to grab the console and play the sequel instead of waiting.

[ThinkThink]

Yeah, pc players are the most patient of players. They will just wait for the game to come to pc.

[Tacoboto]

You're just spitting back out the Sony PR line.

PC-first and PC-centric gaming is a different beast. Helldivers 2's popularity and GoT's popularity are because they're good solid games, not because they're from PlayStation publishing.

It's the same PlayStation that put Helldivers 2 for sale internationally, then pulled their PSN-Steam removal card. The same PlayStation that released Returnal with UE4's dreaded shader stutter. The same PlayStation that released TLOU Part 1 in a broken state.

If Sony's PS4 slate of titles didn't convince PC gamers, if their current PS5 titles still don't, ports of games they've had *years* of knowing and reading and hearing about aren't going to convince them to finally buy a console.

Don't fall so easily for the same PR BS that fabricates quotes from their own studio heads.

[VincentVanBro]

Nah I’ll wait for the best version on PC lol

[JEECE]

I mean that's certainly the thinking, but for most PC gamers that just won't work. Like in a rare circumstance if someone was already on the fence about a console that might get them to take the plunge and buy a PlayStation, but it will be the exception rather than the rule.

[-Foxtrot]

PC gamers are super patient

There's no f****** way, for example, they are going to get a PS5 the moment Ghost of Tsushima 2 is announced just because they played the PC port of the first game

The mindset?

"Ah cool GoT2 has been announced, really enjoyed the first game. Anyway I'll just play on the dozens of other games I have while I wait for the obvious PC port from Sony in like 2 years"

Not a chance they'll all wait now.

[thorstein]

@tacoboto

"You're just spitting back the Sony PR line."

I literally said: "According to Sony."

I was responding to someone who asked "How?"

I gave Fox an answer that reflects Sony's thinking. Maybe read the OP's comment and then reading a reply to that person as if it's an answer to their question instead of sounding off in such a bizarre way. See Jeece's reply to mine.

@Dom I do. Sony may not, but then again, they've made billions in the gaming industry and you've made $0.

[INMATEofARKHAM]

@thorstein PC gamers have been condition to wait... Epic Games exclusives don't sell well and EA, Ubisoft, and MS have all come back/or arrived on Steam and that's all for preferred store front that doesn't cost money at all so to think people will rush out to spend 500 dollars on a console (whichvcould be used to help pay for PC upgrades) is a bit naive.

[shinoff2183]

I think some of yall are giving pc gamers to much credit. Not every pc gamer is gonna be the same. I'm sure sony isnt expecting all pc gamers to switch, that would be foolish. Idk how many pc goers are there. 500 million 400 million idk really. Say son bgets 5 million of them to it was worth it. If you say none imma call bs

[StormSnooper]

Well, if they want the games when they release, they will need a PlayStation. If they are ok with waiting, then they can do that. I think it’s a sound gameplan for PlayStation. The release of games on PC, will generate additional fans for the ips.

[Resistance_lord]

PC gamers will wait a year to get a game $10 cheaper lol. they ain't gonna go out and spend $500 on a system to play 1 game. people underestimate them big time.

[outsider1624]

@Fox
It actually works, i know some of my friends and cousins who cannot wait and bought a Ps5 to play Horizon FW. In fact they cannot believe that "ps has amazing games" lol

Sure there's others who can wait a whole year or two but then there's others who have to play as soon as possible.

[Christopher]

*** Now PC gamers just wait it out because they know it’s coming ***

I think a lot of people who would abandon consoles entirely don't because of the wait. Sure, they aren't drawing new users from PC like they want, but they are maintaining while getting more from PC-only gamers (possibly even double taps from those who own both).

[Einhander1972]

The PS5 Pro is going to be WAY above the average PC of users on Steam.

The PS5 Pro will be able to play every single game they have released on PC at PC settings with a minimum of 60FPS and higher with unlocked framerates.

[Jingsing]

I agree, there is zero logic from Sony on this. Sony completely underestimate how stubborn a PC player is. They can wait, I'll now wait as I've stopped buying games for my PS5 and will now acquire them for free on PC.

[helicoptergirl]

"While Helldivers 2 was released day and date on both PS5 and PC, don’t expect single-player narrative-driven games to be released in the same boat by Sony anytime soon. - This was confirmed by PlayStation’s soon-to-be co-CEO Hermen Hulst in Sony’s business segment presentation"

There you have it. Won't be 'day and date' single player games on PC anytime soon or for the forseeable future. They understand single player games are Playstation's backbone.

[CrashMania]

So much for the nonsense narrative that playstation is somehow failing so they are going to immediately start releasing every single game day and date on PC lol.

[Elda]

That is what the competition has to deal with.

[Elda]

Agreed. First & foremost Playstation not only wants to sell their AAA first party games but their gaming consoles to play them on that is why their AAA first party games come to PC later after it sells on PS consoles.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Good move indeed too

[ocelot07]

I was told that Playstation was doing so bad on here and on X that Helldivers 2 was going to release on Xbox and Sony was going to start releasing all games on pc day and date with playstation. Why do people constantly lie on the internet!!!!!

[Fishy Fingers]

We've gone from you'll never see PS games on PC, to you'll never see any PS games day one on PC, to you'll see some PS games day one but have to wait for others.

I mean, its kinda looks like it's heading one way no? That "wait" is going to get shorter and shorter.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Proof?

[Fishy Fingers]

It's happening.

God of War 2018 - 4 years
Horizon Zero dawn - 3 years
Horizon Forbidden West - 2 years

[StormSnooper]

Well, with MS going full PC/multiplatform, PlayStation will need to adapt. Luckily, they are in a position to hold the fort for all lovers of console gaming. Otherwise, if MS’s business model was the norm, we can all kiss console gaming goodbye.

Thank god for Sony.

[HankHill]

Exactly. As usual, the usual suspects on here are coping and moving goal posts.

[darthv72]

Ragnarok is now 1y and 10m between PS-PC release. Its only going to get shorter over time.

[outsider1624]

Well, change of leaderships on Sony did that, under Jim it looked like a lot has changed. Who would have thought eh?
Who would have thought under Big ole Phil xbox games would come to Playstation eh?

[XiNatsuDragnel]

That's a smart move because at the end of the day playstation is a hardware business and need to sell hardware folks

[Software_Lover]

Meh, I'm done with consoles altogether.

[Bathyj]

Considering the amount of bangers PlayStation and Nintendo make, your name doesn't sound very apt.

[darthv72]

Well I think he means that on PC, all software eventually is playable on it. Which is true.

Consoles just are a convenient way of playing some sooner than later.

[ApocalypseShadow]

Darth, all software eventually is playable on PC through emulation and theft of games. You forgot that part. It's not through legal means.

[andy85]

Most, not all. Unless you're talking emulation

[Software_Lover]

This gen has been trash. I was already on the fence but caved and bought the consoles, I have regretted that decision. Most of the games that I would play come to PC anyway. I'm done with consoles. I have had the best time with PC this gen and a good amount last gen that it just pulled me away.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

@Shadow
Emulators and emulation are legal not rooms you're inaccurate

[anast]

The are going to drip feed that market.

[ThinkThink]

That drip will slowly turn into a pour

[anast]

Only when it's more profitable than not. Right now there's no rush. PC gamers treat these old games like they are new releases.

[RaidenBlack]

PC market proliferated well before Sony's "drip feed" and will continue to proliferate with or without the "drip feed".
LMAO, these takes.

[anast]

None of this makes sense. make a point so I can at least respond. I have also found that when people use acronyms like 'that' they aren't very confident in what they are saying. You might not be the case, but in general it's like that.

[FPS_D3TH]

My backlog makes me totally ok with waiting for those single player games.

[RaidenBlack]

Exactly!
Finally, a sensible comment in the section.

[Bathyj]

PC gamers are not going to flock to PlayStation to play their games, but Sony is fine having them double dip for the cost or porting games years later without alienating their bread and butter customers. It's just free money.

[isarai]

Nice to hear that it's the same plan as when they started the PC port initiative.

[melmacj]

I don't think Sony strategy will work. So Sony idea is advertise single player experiences to PC gamers at a higher cost thus making us want a ps5 or whatever for the sequel. Do they know how much the average pc gamer has invested? I agree with a post here PC gamers are patient and Microsoft is taking a nicer approach. Stop the exclusives and just embrace gaming on a whole. Sony is still protecting their infrastructure of exclusive games to PS platform like Nintendo. If devices like the Steamdeck have taught us anything people want freedom. We're talking about PC here with a backlog of games into oblivion. I just I think I just think I might have a couple games to keep me busy while I'm waiting for the 3rd Spiderman game or next god of war to release and if it don't oh well. PC is a universal platform in which all games should be and can be played. After all every game started on PC at some point.

[ocelot07]

I can see Sony release vr games day and date with pc though.

[Goodguy01]

If that means more pc ports then all the better. Then release the sequel maybe 1-2 years later for more profit. Hope that means ghost 2 is in the works, I am having a blast with the first game on PC. PC gamers are willing to wait for years and sales for games as backlogs are incredible on PC.

[cthulhucultist]

If that is the case, then they should focus on single player games as those as to be released later on PC and will be more likely to entice PC players.

However according to this article

https://wccftech.com/playst...

QUOTE

"Sony confirmed the names of the seven studios focusing on single-player games with a narrative focus - Asobi, Insomniac Games, Santa Monica Studio, Sucker Punch, Naughty Dog, Firesprite and Housemarque, and the nine working on pure live service games or hybrid titles - Bungie, San Diego Studio, Firewalk, Haven and Neon Koi for pure live service games and Guerrilla Games, Polyphony, Media Molecule and Bend Studio.

UNQUOTE

Thus more live service games than single player will be released if true.

[Jingsing]

Sony completely underestimates the PC players stubbornness to wait years or to simply do without. Which is what PC players have been doing for decades until you started giving your big games away for free on torrent sites. Ghosts of Tsushima was at over 500k seeders on a popular site and the best estimates are that game sold around 70k on Steam.

[StormSnooper]

They can if they want to and Sony doesn’t need all of them to buy PlayStations. Their money is good enough. And as far as patience goes, they are not that patient. They are gamers just like everyone else. Besides they have the money because they generally have expendable funds. Shit, when I play on my PC regularly, my electric bill is through the roof. Haha

[purple101]

Damn, that’s a lot of seeders, more than some movies!

[StormSnooper]

This is a really good gameplan I think.

[Petebloodyonion]

It's a logical yet flawed business model.

It's flawed because if it were effective, people would have already shifted from PC to PlayStation years ago. The same people would migrate from Steam to the Epic Games Store, etc. Making them wait in a world already saturated with games won't compel them to buy a console.

Despite this, it's a logical strategy as it represents guaranteed money when Sony decides to port their game. Additionally, a second release allows them to rekindle interest in an older title, resulting in title sales. Finally, it satisfies a segment of the PlayStation fanbase that appreciates the concept of exclusivity.

[VariantAEC]

"It's flawed because if it were effective, people would have already shifted from PC to PlayStation years ago."

Worked for me. PS' first wave was back in the 90s and I was caught up in it. Between Sierra, Looking Glass Studios, and Psygnosis most of my favorites on PC were from Psygnosis.

Sierra, Looking Glass are gone and so is Psygnosis, but Psygnosis game me 3 or more favorites on PC and when Psygnosis became Studio Liverpool I picked up a PSP for WipEout Pure and switch to PS2 instead of playing on PC
I have a PC it's not much for gaming anymore; being 7 years old now it can't run most modern PS5 era games well at 1080p30 maxed out. I'd basically run all PS5 ports and 1080p30 medium or lower settings with stutters and such. R&C is a great example of that. 900p30 with much longer loading due to PCIe gen 3 NVMe speeds. Anyway, I do rarely buy PC games still and have for over a decade. Back towards the end of PS3 era I got a meh laptop with weak gaming potential but managed Crysis 1 at 1080p30 with a mix of medium and high settings. It could hardly run late PS3 games including NFS:MW which ran fine on PS3 and while the most complete portable version was a visual cut the PS Vita ran the game better than my laptop! Today my phones run games like Grid: Autosport and Alien: Isolation much better than my old laptop at the same or higher settings and resolutions.

This is where my PC is now. Picked it up as a workstation at the end of the PS4 gen and now it can hardly run the simpler games made for PS5. Unless it's a really simple indie title like Animal Well these days. It really feels like my PC became less computationally capable. Yet, FH5 runs maxed out at 1440p30 with RT. Of course FH5 wasn't the spectacle people touted it as. Some still think FH5 is a top-tier game visually for the PC platform. To me that's a bit generous of them.

Look, the point is, I moved to PS2 and PSP after I discovered some of my favorite PC games were on PS. I ultimately still wasn't a 'fanboy' at the time. I entered fanboy age during the PS3 era and that lasted for all of 5 years and I picked up an Xbox 360 during the PSN outage which ironically only made me understand that sometimes fanboys can have very solid arguments. In the end. Most of my gaming is on console primarily PS. I stopped caring about Nintendo and Xbox burned me with Xbox 360.

[Profchaos]

PC players waited three years for GTA v I don't think they will cave over this

[VariantAEC]

Back in the 90s my favs were PS 1st party games on PC. Thing is I didn't know it. As PS started publishing my favorites, I left PC as a platform behind at least largely speaking. I still have a decent PC, but I don't do a lot of gaming on it and don't ever feel pressure to upgrade like I used to. PC as a platform has so many massive drawbacks and when I was young my OCD didn't help. Even getting treated for OCD and trying some recent PC games I still fell into old habits tweaking game settings to get the most out of my HW. It takes up so much time and is just... too much effort. On literally prefer playing on my phone to playing on PC and rather ironically PS4 and phones were the first places where I saw 90 and 120FPS games respectively thanks to PSVR on PS4 and 120hz displays on phones. Honestly it's not at all difficult to give up 120FPS for significantly better visuals and most PS5 games I play at 30FPS for even better visuals anyway.

The fact that 30FPS doesn't slow me down probably also makes me a better gamer. I even play Stellar Blade at 30... though, the final boss kicked my butt so much I switched to story mode. Happy to say hard mode was still unlocked when I finished the game and so far I've not experienced any serious difficulties against the hard mode bosses yet.

Anyway, PC is just as locked down especially with Windows 11 and more people will ultimately be f••••d out of caring about PC gaming for the waste of time that it is, eventually. My PC is a means to capture very high quality 1440p60 gameplay from PS5 these days.

[derek]

PC is an open platform, Sony will release their games on it in a manner that fits with their bottom line. Dummies act like these decisions are not backed by research and data by people who are paid to weigh/monitor these decisions 24/7. Playstation matters to Sony in a way that some don't understand or pretend not to. Microsoft unlike the other 2 platform holders can be reckless and take big gambles with their xbox division because it has almost no relevance to their bottom line. There is almost zero case to be made for day and date when the potential damage it could cause is taken into account.

[PassNextquestion]

If you own a gaming PC why would you buy a PS5 for a single player game that's going to release on PC in a year or two? There's plenty of games to play whilst you wait.

If you want more people to buy your console do what Nintendo do. Don't release your games on another console and don't release on PC.

[tay8701]

I dont think many pc gamers will buy a playststion to play playstation games, they will just wait the 1-2 yrs for it to get ported. That being said, this is the right decision. MS destroyed their console business, now there is literally zero reason to own an xbox.

[neomahi]

Yeah..... But port the predicessors to PC to make you question why you even has a console in the first place

[maelstromb]

Sorry, Sony. As a PC gamer with a hefty rig, you still have not convinced me on why a PS5 console is worth my money. At this stage, it's safe to say it will never happen. Downvote me all you like. But someone please explain to me logically why anyone with even a decent PC rig would want to shell out $500+ for PS hardware at this point? Also, please don't use timing in your argument - I have plenty of games to play, I can wait and I don't care how long. (i.e. that's not a valid reason for shelling out $500+).

[Yi-Long]

SP games they're keeping at 80 bucks for 2-3 years? Yeah, by the time they're considering a discount/sale, PC gamers will be able to pick it up at a lower price and play it with better performance.

This strategy won't bring in PC players to Playstation 5/6. It will sinply mean that those console-players who refuse to pay 80 bucks for incomplete SP games will increasingly just wait for a cheaper and better PC release instead.

[GrmpyolGamer]

Tell me you know nothing about PC gamers without telling me you know nothing about PC gamers. Sony should just put the games day and date on PC and be done with it

[Abear21]

Not Sony first party, GTA6 on PS5 Pro will be the one for Sony if Microsoft sits this model refresh out. PC release will be a while to wait

[sagapo]

Interesting strategic approach sure, but people don’t always act like you hope they would.
It’s a rather safe strategy tho. If it works, great, but if it doesn’t, no harm really.

[Zenzuu]

Doesn't really make sense. Since, it's going to be released on PC, players will just wait for it to become available. If they really want to entice players to play on playstation, than don't release any of their first party games on PC at all.

Exclusives it's what made specific console unique from other. It's still working for Nintendo, so Sony should have just kept it to their platform as well.

Also, Sony should just stop it with these live service games, and stick to what they do best, and that is make great single player games. It's helped since the psone era to now.

[Aussiesummer]

derrrr, how is this news?

[Angyobangyo]

When a PS game comes to steam, PC gamers "oh cool another game to my vast catalogue!". If it doesn't, PC gamers "OK, I'll play a game from my vast catalogue!". People on here thinking PC gamers are port begging, when in reality they don't care either way seeing as Sony is making these decisions.