Ghost of Tsushima is getting some PlayStation Network integration when it launches on PC next month, and while many have wondered why PlayStation doesn’t release a storefront and launcher themselves, I’d argue that they don’t even need one.
From a Business Standpoint, a PC Storefront and Dedicated Launcher Make Sense…BUT From a PC Gamer Standpoint, Do We Really Need More Launchers?
When it comes to making money, any business would want to maximize any revenue stream as best it can. With several PlayStation exclusives now becoming available on PC, sales of those titles are being split between the two storefronts (Steam and Epic Games Store) in an assumed 30/70 split.
So why not cut the middle man and do it yourself? Microsoft does this with its own Windows store, as does Ubisoft, EA, and several other companies, all of which (assumably) get the full percentage of each title sold. 100% in sales is better than 70%, and that alone is probably more than enough reason for PlayStation to want to create a dedicated PC launcher.
However, looking at my gaming PC and the number of launchers on it (Steam, Windows, GoG, EA, Ubisoft, Battlenet, Epic Games Store, and more), do PC gamers even want another launcher to add to that list? Sure, once it’s there, it’s there, but I’ve grown fond of my library being all in one place, and most of that is on Steam.
While it’s not the most convoluted thing, having all these launchers can be quite annoying, especially when you’re trying to find a game you know you purchased but can’t remember which launcher it’s under. I’ve run into that a ton of times, playing a game, deleting it to make room for a new one, and then months, maybe even years later, wondering where the heck I bought that game.
I think many PC gamers can agree that Steam is their go-to launcher, as everything is so nicely organized and easy to track, not to mention that a vast majority of games are released on the platform. Why buy something somewhere else when you can have it all be part of the same collection?
Plus, new PC storefronts/launchers that have been introduced over the last few years have sucked. If PlayStation is going to do it, they have to do it correctly right out of the gate. Otherwise, you’ll get a pretty good chunk of the community dunking on the storefront. Look at Epic Games Store years later, and it’s still playing catch up, lacking in some features like preloading (getting added this year) and other things.
Last October, I wrote about how to temporarily disable notifications while playing Alan Wake 2 from the Epic Games Store. I noted how it wasn’t just some universal setting that you can set by default, having to do it every time you boot the launcher. There are a lot of things missing from the Epic Games Store, and I think at this point, a large chunk of PC gamers steer clear of it unless there’s a really good game that you can grab for free, and even then, I’d say a lot throw it in their library without ever playing it.
The point is that while a launcher might sound like a cool idea, I don’t think PlayStation necessarily needs one, let alone one that many PC gamers even want.
So, what’s the proposed alternative? That’s something that PlayStation may have already answered, as Ghost of Tsushima will be the first PC title to feature a PlayStation overlay.
An Overlay That Brings the Possibility of Expansion
One of the coolest things about the PC release of Ghost of Tsushima is that PlayStation is introducing an all-new overlay that can be accessed anytime in-game with the press of a few keys. This gives PC gamers access to some PlayStation features, such as trophies, friends lists, profiles, and account management.
For someone like me, this is fantastic. I can now continue earning trophies and easily game with some of my friends since it’s all under my original PlayStation ID. I still have full access to the Steam or Epic Games Store overlay, too. Nothing is being replaced but instead added, and all my games remain under the same preferred storefront.
I honestly think this is the better move; as long as it functions smoothly, it’s an easy way to universally provide the PlayStation experience on any storefront, rather than tying it down to an exclusive launcher.
No additional download, no extra launcher to take up room on your PC, none of that. Everything is all under a single storefront, Steam or Epic Games Store. You get to keep your library of games all under one place, whichever you prefer, and that includes other PC titles you already own.
What’s more, though, is that this could potentially expand beyond Ghost of Tsushima. Of course, I expect to see the overlay appear in other upcoming PlayStation games on PC and probably be patched into past ones, but could the overlay also come to other PC titles?
It would be interesting and, frankly, exciting if PlayStation also allowed third-party developers to use the overlay in PC games that are also on PlayStation. That may or may not happen, as purely wishful thinking on my part, but it would certainly be a quick way to “unify” PlayStation and PC without the trouble of building a dedicated launcher that may have the opposite effect.
Now, the one thing that would really bring all of this together is if PlayStation had cross-save support between PC and PlayStation via this overlay. It would be basically similar to what Xbox does between consoles and Windows PC, but again, without the need for it being tied to their storefront.
If PlayStation can solve that, I honestly don’t see much reason to launch its own store. Sure, it’s less money in their pocket (it could cost them quite a fortune to make and run a launcher, though, something Epic may be struggling with), but for PC gamers, this seems like the perfect way of going about it.
(Editor’s Note: Views expressed here are solely that of the author’s and does not represent MP1st and its staff).
