- Sony’s latest goal seems to be to entice PC players into a PS5 purchase through porting games.
- This will not work, however, since PC gamers are the most patient audience in the industry.
- Moreover, Sony continues to port titles, often releasing the best version on PC.
With Sony more aggressive than ever, its PC ports are picking up the pace. After two huge releases in 2024, Horizon Forbidden West and Ghost of Tsushima, the gaming giant is set to launch God of War Ragnarok in September.
However, the latest Sony report says that porting exclusives to PCs is meant to increase the PS5 install base by enticing those players to join the PlayStation ecosystem for first-party sequels.
While Sony’s plan may have merit, I believe that the strategy of persuading PC players to switch to PlayStation platforms will not work.
Why it matters: Sony can only entice players by releasing extraordinary hardware with exclusive features not offered by other platforms.
PC Gamers Are Too Patient
Sony thinks that if PC gamers enjoy a particular entry from a series, they will rush out to buy the PS5 in anticipation of follow-ups.
However, what the gaming giant is failing to consider is that PC gamers are too patient. They have shown that two, three, or even four years of waiting, in Ghost of Tsushima’s case, is no big deal.
You would think that nobody would want to play Ghost of Tsushima on the platform since it was so old. However, the tile is now Sony’s biggest single-player launch on PC, highlighting that there was always interest in the IP.
It is also important to consider just how big the PC library is. Unlike the PS5, Steam offers games from several generations, meaning that most users on the platform have a sizable backlog.
While I can confess that the backlog is neverending, we can continue to chip away at it until Sony ports its first-party library. After all, there’s no need to rush.
Sony Still Needs PC Ports
Sony’s immediate solution could be to stop PC ports altogether. However, considering the revenue Steam alone offers, Sony would be shooting itself in the foot.
Consider God of War 2018 as an example. According to leaks, the game sold a whopping 2.5 million units on the platform, and if PlayStation’s ports suddenly stopped coming, millions of dollars would be left on the table.
Meanwhile, Horizon Zero Dawn sold 3.3 million units, while Days Gone sold nearly 2 million copies. My point here is that Sony practically needs these ports. Now that the gaming giant has tasted PC gaming’s potential, it’s hard to go back.
After all, Helldivers 2 would be nowhere near as big as it is today without Steam. As a platform, PC transcends exclusivity because of its sheer size and scale. Nobody, not even Sony, can deny how important this platform is.
PC Ports Offer The Best Experience
Another reason PC players will not buy a PS5 is that almost everything from Sony looks and plays better on a PC.
These ports offer multiple upscaling options, ultrawide support, and even enhanced ray-tracing in cases like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Then there’s the inherent benefit of PC hardware.
Games like Returnal play incredibly well when paired with a mouse and keyboard at 120FPS.
Overall, the PC platform is very stable. Users that have been gaming on PC for several years are more or less comfortable with what they have and everything additional is a nice bonus.
In my opinion, Sony would be smarter to pursue a day-and-date release for its biggest titles. I still think this is where PlayStation is headed, even if it may take a few more years than initially anticipated.
Until then, PC gamers can benefit from Game Pass, older classics through emulation, free online gaming, and more. This platform’s advantages far outweigh its cons, making it worth sticking to.
Sony is also clearly not moving away from ports, so I’m looking forward to God of War Ragnarok and everything that comes afterward.
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[News Reporter]
Bawal is an MBBS student by day and a gaming journalist by night. He has been gaming since childhood, growing fond of the creativity and innovation of the industry. His career as a gaming journalist started one year ago, and his journey has allowed him to write reviews, previews, and features for various sites. Bawal has also been cited in reputed websites such as Screenrant, PCGamesN, WCCFTech, GamesRadar, and more.
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