PlayStation Single-Player Games Will Be Platform-Exclusive, Multiplayer-Focused Titles Will Still See PC Release
A month ago, a report surfaced stating that Sony is pulling back on releasing first-party games on PC. While Sony hasn’t commented on that report, the latest comments from Sony Interactive Entertainment’s CEO all but seal the deal.
Not only that, but insider info has also come to light, plainly stating that if you’re a fan of PlayStation single-player games, you won’t be able to play them outside of Sony’s platforms moving forward.
This doesn’t mean Sony is completely abandoning other platforms, as multiplayer-centric titles (such as Helldivers 2, Marathon) should still see a PC release — at least for now.
PlayStation First-Party Single-Player Games Can Only Be Played on Sony’s Consoles
Speaking to Famitsu as part of the magazine’s 40th anniversary, PlayStation CEO Hideaki Nishino said the following (translated by DeepL via ResetEra) when asked whether they’re reconsidering releasing PS5 games on PC.
Nishino: We’ve always determined platform selection based on the characteristics of each title. If releasing a title on PC would maximize the gaming experience, we’ll continue to consider that option. Our current main policy is that, for single-player games developed in-house, we will further refine the value of the gaming experience that PlayStation can offer. At the same time, we believe it is important for live-service games to reach a wider audience through online multiplayer, so we continue to view releases on both PS5 and PC as the standard. Regardless of the platform, we will make decisions based on the principle of delivering the best possible gaming experience that maximizes each title’s unique features.”
Not only that, but Bloomberg and reliable insider Jason Schreier also chimed in, stating, “I guess they’re not going to lay this out publicly, but there’s no ambiguity in their strategy. During a townhall a few weeks ago, Hermen Hulst told staff that their single-player narrative games will be PlayStation only, and he explained that they were inconsistent with their PC releases, they didn’t make enough money, and they want to keep their IP aligned to their own platform. Confirmed this with two people who heard him say it. There’s no “case by case” here.”
There you have it, folks! If it’s a single-player narrative-driven game, don’t expect it to be available outside of the PS5 or any succeeding PlayStation device. This means that upcoming titles like Marvel’s Wolverine, God of War: Laufey won’t be playable anywhere else except on the PS5.
While this generation saw the barriers of console exclusives be brought down initially, that seems to be a thing of the past now. Not only is Sony making its bread-and-butter single-player games platform-exclusive, but Xbox also seems to be headed the same way, albeit at a much slower pace.
Earlier this month, Microsoft shocked everyone by announcing that Gears of War: E-Day will be console-exclusive to the Xbox Series X|S, which evidence suggests was a last-minute decision.
Not only that, but Xbox CEO Asha Sharma even outright states that they aim to do more console exclusives once their division’s business is in a healthier state.
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