Back in early October, I snagged a code for Horizon: Zero Dawn on PC from CDKeys. I was eagerly anticipating the remaster dropping later that month. As soon as Sony yanked the original title off Steam, I acted fast to get it before the key market went dry. I thought to myself, “For an extra ten bucks on top of the twelve the key cost me, the remaster seems worth it.”
And guess what? I wasn’t wrong; it turned out to be totally awesome. Sure, some of the game mechanics felt a bit dated, but running through those wild landscapes and dismantling robot pieces felt like an epic slow-motion sequence straight out of a tribal Max Payne. My only gripe? The sequel didn’t have trophies on Steam. Yeah, I know it’s a minor complaint, but I’m a sucker for shiny achievements.
Now, just because I mostly play on Windows PC and within the Xbox ecosystem doesn’t mean I’m anti-Sony. Uncharted 4 is right up there as my second favorite game ever, just behind the original Red Dead Redemption. Plus, Uncharted 4 has been on PC for quite some time. So, here lies the crux.
Sony, a bit like a child reluctantly leaving a candy store after being told no, has slowly been making its games available on PC. They’ve taken their sweet time, often without much buzz, but the trend is shifting. This year, we saw Helldivers 2, a major release, drop simultaneously on PlayStation 5 and PC. This little experiment is likely the game-changer for their strategy.
Released in February, Helldivers 2 struck gold on PC. By March, estimates showed over 60% of the sales happened on PCs. This marked the first time a crucial PlayStation exclusive’s major sales platform wasn’t their own console. This trend isn’t just starting; it’s snowballing, similar to what’s been going on with Xbox.
So, what’s on the horizon for PlayStation games? Is there reason for Sony to feel uneasy about the PC market? This very topic was brought up during a shareholder’s meeting last November. Keep in mind, this was translated from Japanese to English, so nuances might be lost as Sony noted in the original document.
A shareholder raised the question, “With plenty of PS5 exclusives lined up from third-party software for the second half, is that to encourage PS4 to PS5 transitions? Could there be a risk of more users leaning towards PCs?”
Sony’s response was measured, “We’re now into the latter half of the PS5’s lifecycle, with more titles coming in. Internally, we see a positive trend of users moving from PS4 to PS5, which also boosts software purchases—a real plus. As for shifting to PCs, we haven’t observed this as a trend, nor does it pose a major risk at this stage.”
Skipping over the shareholder’s remark about the heavy amount of third-party exclusives Sony backed this year, let’s get to the core. Sony doesn’t seem concerned, at least not currently, about a future where PC gaming takes over. There’s some layered meaning in the words they chose.
Particularly, they pointed out a solid trend of PS4 users moving to PS5. Although minor, PS5 has been a bit behind PS4 in total sale numbers. While it’s possible some PC gamers transition to consoles, it’s safe to say most PS5 users come from a PS4 background, or maybe from another console like Xbox One. Sony has hinted before that many Nintendo Switch players “graduate” to PlayStation, too. Despite this, market analysts like Newzoo and Circana observe an overall stagnation in console market growth. As expenses rise, companies like Sony and Xbox are exploring new avenues to offer their high-margin games.
At the same time, Steam continues to set records yearly. Not long ago, Steam hit an impressive 39,319,632 concurrent players online. Just yesterday, they were just shy of that number by 200,000, making such figures almost daily occurrences. Expect Steam to hit 40 million by March 2025.
For comparison, the NFL saw 64 million viewers on Christmas Day, a record-breaking number. Meanwhile, Steam almost pulls in two-thirds of that daily. It’s a staggering reality more console gamers need to understand.
Setting aside the mobile gaming market, which already leads and is poised for more growth, PC gaming steadily grows without downturns for years. With PS sales lagging its predecessor, what’s the future trajectory of their games? That ever-debated term comes to mind: “day and date” releases on PC.
I’m puzzled why some debate this, but it’s clear PlayStation’s era of staggered releases won’t last much longer. We’re not there yet, but that day’s coming closer every year. The massive response to Helldivers 2 last year led Sony to admit they’d release live-service titles simultaneously everywhere. Tomorrow, another game may push Sony to shift their approach again.
I’ll admit I own a PS5, yet I often wait for those releases to hit Windows PC. They eventually do, so why not hold out for my preferred platform? Sure, some real gems might come out, but what PlayStation first-party titles have skipped a PC release? Looking to 2025, Death Stranding 2 and Ghost of Yotei are already confirmed for PC, with their predecessors having already made that jump. For Death Stranding, Kojima Productions even released it on Xbox to boost revenue.
Though Sony claims they’ll prioritize PlayStation first for single-player releases, there’s bound to be a point when they test the waters. And if those titles find huge success, history has shown Sony will adjust their sails.
Initially, Horizon: Zero Dawn hit a peak of 56,000 players on Steam, marking a solid win for Sony. Meanwhile, Uncharted and The Last of Us Part 1 faced more challenges. Performance, replay potential, and things like the release timeline contributed to this.
Uncharted’s delay to PC meant eager players had already played or moved on. The Last of Us Part 1, being a remaster of a decade-old game, met a PC audience accustomed to modding for enhanced experiences. Unless discounted, like my Horizon: Zero Dawn deal via CDKeys or GreenManGaming, why bother paying for something typically free?
Game development costs aren’t the only things rising; marketing expenses skyrocket too. When sinking tens or hundreds of millions into marketing campaigns, maximizing returns means launching your game widely, setting off buzz, and hijacking social media algorithms. Limiting your release to a single slice of the industry pie is a mistake publishers increasingly recognize. Square Enix and others, once eager for exclusivity deals, now often reject them.
Year after year, PlayStation earns more from non-PlayStation platforms. I’d wager that come 2024, they approached or surpassed a billion dollars in profits. Seeking those higher profits and better margins, it would only be logical to tighten release schedules, making simultaneous “day and date” launches the usual practice sooner rather than later. Believe me, it’s closer than you might think.
What’s your take? Is Sony edging towards day-and-date PC launches? What about branching out to other platforms like the anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 or Xbox Series X|S? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
