Returnal Performs Below Expectations 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 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. 

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