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- Sony’s current CEO is fully invested in PC, sparking concerns about harm to PlayStation’s console business.
- This is unlikely to happen since major first-party titles will likely stay exclusive for at least one year moving forward.
- PlayStation is such a huge brand that it will be difficult to break its control over console gaming.
Jim Ryan‘s era finally marked the advent of PlayStation exclusives on PC. Titles like God of War, Uncharted, Horizon, and Returnal went multiplatform with PC ports, with each experiencing varying degrees of success.
Since then, there has been a change in management after PlayStation’s long-standing CEO finally retired. The shoes have been filled by Hiroki Totoki, who will act as an interim head until a new one is assigned. Unlike Jim Ryan, he wants to go all out with the multiplatform strategy.
Xbox has also gone multiplatform, releasing titles like Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves on PlayStation. However, this practice has harmed Microsoft’s gaming brand. In contrast, I don’t see Sony’s approach as a major problem for PlayStation consoles.
Why it matters: Since Sony began to push for more PC ports, fans have debated whether the gaming giant would end up sacrificing its identity in pursuit of more profits from PC gamers.
PlayStation Will Probably Skip Day 1 PC Releases
While this push will certainly change things for Sony and its fanbase, the impact won’t drastically alter how PlayStation works. I hold this opinion due to PlayStation’s loyal fan base and exclusives.
Sure, Sony is releasing exclusives on PC in quick succession now, but they are still a ways off from launching everything on the platform on day one. I don’t see the likes of God of War or Spider-Man arriving simultaneously on PS5 and PC.
Whatever the plans may be, day-one PC releases will likely stay limited to new IPs like Helldivers 2. A new report has claimed that Hiroki Totoki is also interested in bringing Helldivers 2 to Xbox, indicating further interest in multiplatform gaming.
However, there is no room for such experiments when it comes to God of War or Horizon. These games drive PlayStation console sales, and Sony seems interested in keeping it that way.
Many people love to play titles from these established IPs on day one. So, if you have a PC or an Xbox and still want to play a first-party Sony game at launch, you are left with no option but to buy a PS5.
Consoles Still Offer A Distinct Value
Let’s consider a scenario where PlayStation, like Xbox, puts out all its content on day one. Looking at Xbox, we already know that millions still purchase the Xbox Series S|X despite Microsoft’s poor position in the industry.
In my opinion, Sony has enough of a following that such a move would not be the end of PlayStation consoles. Consoles are also valuable for third-party gaming, as 2023 showed an unprecedented amount of poor PC ports.
Sony is looking to expand this further, as reports suggest that the upcoming PS5 Pro will offer an easy and economical upgrade path for developers. Also, with its new PSSR upscaling tech, the gaming giant aims to reach new heights.
Then, there is simply the value you get from a console compared to a PC. You’ll need to spend over $1000 to build a PC comparable to the performance of the PlayStation 5 right now.
Also, a console stays relevant for at least seven to eight years. The PlayStation market is too massive to break at this point. Sony has emerged as the undisputed king of the console wars, absolutely dominating Xbox in terms of sales.
Ultimately, both Team Green and Blue will go multiplatform, which will be brilliant for consumers. The choice of playing any title, irrespective of whether you have an Xbox, PlayStation, or PC, is always worth appreciating.
While Xbox is emerging as a more successful publisher, PlayStation is nailing the console manufacturer role. It is great to see two industry giants thriving despite Microsoft’s recent struggles in console gaming.
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News Reporter
Abdullah is an avid gamer who primarily plays single-player titles. If you can’t find him anywhere, he’ll probably be at his desk playing The Witcher 3 for the millionth time. When he isn’t playing games, he’s either reading or writing about them.
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