Returnal Performs Below Expectations on Steam

Expert Verified By

Returnal Disappoints On Steam!

PlayStation has become heavily involved in PC gaming over the last few years. Recent years have seen major PS4 releases like God of War coming to the platform, and more are planned for the next few months. 

Returnal launched exclusively for the PS5 in 2021 and is now available on Steam and the Epic Games Store, marking the latest PlayStation title on PC. Upon release, the game saw impressive critical reception, and many had expected Returnal to shine on the PC platform.

However, Returnal is shaping up to be a disappointing PC release for Sony, with less than 6000 concurrent Steam players on launch day.

Returnal Steam Players
Source; SteamDB

Returnal has seen a peak of 5700 players so far. This is a stark contrast to high-profile PlayStation games on PC. Big franchises like God of War and Spider-Man Remastered have seen over ten times as many peak players.

The game sold over half a million copies on PS5 in three months, which was still disappointing for a new PlayStation IP. This could have been a reason that contributed to the early release of the game on PC. 

Recently, PlayStation games have not found much success on PC. Games from renowned PlayStation franchises like Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection and Sackboy: A Big Adventure have performed poorly, and Returnal looks to be continuing this trend. 

However, similar to other PlayStation games, Returnal is also available on Epic Games Store. Many players may be choosing Epic Games Store instead of Steam, but Returnal has taken a step backward compared to previous PlayStation games on Steam.

Returnal comes with a bunch of new features for the PC platform. Upsacling techniques like DLSS and AMD FSR can be utilized, and the game also supports ultrawide displays. Additionally, the game is also compatible with the Steam Deck.

The PC port’s performance verdict is still out, but the game stands at a solid Metacritic rating of 87/100 for PC. However, it is disappointing to see several PlayStation releases underperforming on PC in a row, especially when so many PC gamers have taken a liking to PlayStation’s recent offerings. 

Read Next: Respawn Wants Apex Legends To Last For Two Decades

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Black Ops 7 Beta Struggles on Steam – Player Count Nearly 5x Lower Than Battlefield 6 Beta

According to SteamDB, Black Ops 7 beta player count only topped at about 100K players, compared to Battlefield 6 beta's over 500K.

Activision Claims 97% Of Black Ops 7 Cheaters Are Banned Within 30 Minutes

97% of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 cheaters were banned within 30 minutes of signing in, while only 1% made it into the game.

Silent Hill 3 Remake Reportedly Coming in 2028 as Bloober Team Works on Resident Evil-Inspired New IP

Bloober Team is rumored to be working on a Silent Hill 3 remake and a new Resident Evil-inspired IP, with releases expected in 2026 and 2028.

Battlefield 6: EA Promises 120 FPS Performance on Consoles and Free DLC Support

Battlefield 6 to support 120FPS, and alongside, EA to give out a free DLC titled 'Covert Operations' during Season 1.

Microsoft Reportedly Scrapped Its Xbox Handheld After AMD’s Shocking Demands

A new report reveals that the first-party Xbox handheld was cancelled because AMD demanded 10 million sales to develop a custom SoC.