What you need to know
- Speaking at a Sony business event, the company's upcoming co-CEO and current SVP, Herman Hulst, has outlined PlayStation's plans regarding day and date releases on PC.
- Live service titles, such as 2024's Helldivers 2, will be coming to PC the same day they launch on PS5, but the same cannot be said of the platform's extensive (and enticing) library of single player games.
- It's apparently part of a strategy that hopes to get players buying into PlayStation hardware in order to enjoy sequels, which seems a little misguided but highlights Sony's reliance still on selling hardware.
The launch of Helldivers 2, a PlayStation console exclusive, day and date also on PC has been nothing but a runaway success. One of the year's most popular titles, most of us hoped it would set a precedent for Sony to put more of its games onto PC at the same time as its console.
That appears to be the case going forward, but only partly. At a Sony business event (via Tom Warren), Herman Hulst, soon to be Sony's co-CEO, has been talking about PlayStation's plans for future games. Sony will indeed put more games out on PC on the same day as console, but is limiting it to live service titles like the aforementioned Helldivers 2.
Hermen Hulst, soon to be co-CEO of Sony's PlayStation business, addresses day 1 PC releases. Live service games will come day and date on PS5 and PC, but single player narrative games on PC are designed to then entice PC owners to play sequels on a PlayStation console pic.twitter.com/uAO0stlBS6May 29, 2024
The shortened version is that for games that Sony can generate a consistent income stream from, PC players can join in on day one. For its single player, narrative-focused titles, that's not going to be the case. The strategy is apparently to still drip feed these onto PC, in the hopes that players will then drop close to 500 bucks on buying a PS5 to play the newer titles and sequels.
Yes, let's all do that. I'm palming my face pretty hard right now.
Where Xbox has a larger presence cross-platform to offset shortfalls in console sales, and, of course, a now insanely stacked first-party portfolio, Sony is still pushing hard to sell as many consoles as possible. But I still feel like it's a mistake.
For one, this model expects that PC gamers are going to throw another $450 minimum on a piece of hardware to play some games on without needing to wait for them to hit PC. Gamers are known for spending money, but that's a big ask.
I've a little experience of my own that fits into this, too. When the PS5 and Xbox Series X launched close together, I went out and bought both. I'm heavily invested in the Xbox ecosystem, so the latest console here was a no-brainer. The PS5 was always second fiddle, and I don't have it anymore. I didn't use it, so I sold it. The only first-party games I was excited by were the likes of Spider-Man 2 and Wolverine (whenever that appears) and it felt silly keeping it around for that. Especially since, one day, you'd expect Spider-Man 2 to join the first two games in the series on Steam.
So it's a good news bad news situation. Sony seems to think it's a good strategy to help them sell a few extra consoles, but honestly, I'm not so sure. I'm still waiting on Spider-Man 2 on PC, I haven't got FOMO and gone out and bought another PS5 to play it. I doubt I'm alone, either.
