Don't expect Sony to release games simultaneously on PS5 and PC anytime soon

[Daniel Sims]

Bottom line: Anyone hoping Sony might change its strategy of staggering PC ports of PlayStation 5 exclusives like Spider-Man 2 shouldn't hold their breath. The CEO of PlayStation recently reaffirmed the division's commitment to keeping its first-party titles console-exclusive for a while after launch.

PlayStation boss Jim Ryan recently told Famitsu (translation via IGN) that Sony will keep delaying PC versions of in-house PS5 games. He said the strategy works well for the company despite a recent misstep with The Last of Us Part 1.

Ryan said PlayStation's priority with first-party development is making PS5-exclusive games, which will increase in number. He also claims fans have told him that a two-to-three-year lag between the PlayStation and PC versions of games like God of War or Spider-Man is "acceptable."

Users have warmly received most Sony PC ports like Returnal and Spider-Man due to their additional PC-specific features, smooth releases, and good performance. However, the company's latest port – The Last of Us Part 1 – faced heavy criticism for its instability and poor hardware utilization. Multiple patches have since improved the game, restoring its Steam review rating to "mostly positive."

The game's troubled PC launch could serve as evidence supporting Sony's current strategy due to its unusual timing. It followed the original PS5 release by just seven months, while the company staggered prior PC ports by one or more years. Sony could argue the extra time allows studios to polish their conversions.

A lack of experience on Naughty Dog's part could also be to blame. While dedicated PC port houses handle most of Sony's releases, Naughty Dog converted The Last of Us Part 1 in-house – the first title the studio has ever shipped for Windows.

Flagship Sony games that remain PlayStation-exclusive include God of War: Ragnarök, Horizon II: Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7, Ghost of Tsushima, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Demon's Souls, and Bloodborne. A leaker recently unveiled evidence that Sony has long possessed an internal PC build of Bloodborne, but it's unclear when or if the company might ever release it.

Sony's PC gaming approach contrasts sharply with Microsoft's. The latter company releases its in-house games simultaneously on Xbox and PC. Microsoft also lets customers play its first-party games on console and PC after purchasing them once, whereas Sony sells its titles separately.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/98784-dont-expect-sony-release-games-simultaneously-ps5-pc.html

 

[punctualturn]

Then dont expect to see a penny from me anytime soon either.

I refuse to bend over to these practices.

 

[DSirius]

Sony's first-party titles console-exclusive can be a double edge sword and bite them back. Now they are OK because they had and have some great games. But, beside Xbox pass, if Microsoft will manage to release some successful titles in near future and make them available on both, XBOX and PC, from the day launch, this will be a "game changer".
Sony may change it's approach very quickly when they will see that gamers will buy more Xboxes and PCs than PS5. All is needed are some great games from Microsoft gaming studios.

 

[yRaz]

Sony's first-party titles console-exclusive can be a double edge sword and bite them back. Now they are OK because they had and have some great games. But, beside Xbox pass, if Microsoft will manage to release some successful titles in near future and make them available on both, XBOX and PC, from the day launch, this will be a "game changer".
Sony may change it's approach very quickly when they will see that gamers will buy more Xboxes and PCs than PS5. All is needed are some great games from Microsoft gaming studios.

I feel like these recent moves by Microsoft to lock down the games do not bid well for the long term outlook of the console. I just see a slippery slope with how Microsoft is handling its subscription services. Everything is OKAY for now, actually pretty good if you ask some people with xbox game pass, but how long is that going to last? Once MS drives up marketshare it's going to start gouging for its services or having ad supported models....or a combination of the two.....

 

[m4a4]

Just sounds like they're admitting that they prefer the double dip strategy. Considering they still charge a premium for the port yeeaars later.

Imagine thinking, in this day and age, that reaching more gamers than who will ever be on your console is a bad thing.....

 

[DSirius]

I feel like these recent moves by Microsoft to lock down the games do not bid well for the long term outlook of the console. I just see a slippery slope with how Microsoft is handling its subscription services. Everything is OKAY for now, actually pretty good if you ask some people with xbox game pass, but how long is that going to last? Once MS drives up marketshare it's going to start gouging for its services or having ad supported models....or a combination of the two.....

True, good question how long is that going to last. And also How will Microsoft "play" if they will be dominant. Previous experiences with Microsoft are bad from this point of view.

 

[yRaz]

True, good question how long is that going to last. And also How will Microsoft "play" if they will be dominant. Previous experiences with Microsoft are bad from this point of view.

I'm going to say it's going to reach its peak 3-4 years after the release of Star Field. This is going to be the first title to really test if Microsofts investment in exclusive titles is actually paying off. If it does, we'll see a slow tightening of it's subscription services over the next few years. I think Sony is going to play a relatively quiet long game and watch what MS is doing. If MS can successfully increase revenue through the use of its subscription services I think Sony will also adopt the model.

Frankly, what I think is going to happen is that MS is going to find out what the market will bare and Sony will offer a near identical service a few steps back from that.

 

[Dimitriid]

This is the exact same company that not even 2 months ago was loudly crying at Microsoft trying to "take away" CoD games from their platform, and it worked that deal is likely dead, yet they can turn around and say they just want to artificially boost their console sales by limiting their releases?

They are cynical enough that if they could afford it, they would probably try to purchase Activision for themselves, take CoD away from both Xbox and the PC and they'd still have fanboys defending the move on top.

 

[Tom Yum]

I don't really understand why this upsets people so. If you are a PS5 owner, buy the game when it comes out on PS5. If you are a PC gamer, buy it when it comes out on PC. If you are both, buy it when it comes out on your preferred platform. Either way, you buy a game once, you enjoy it, and then you move on. Am I missing something?

 

[DSirius]

I don't really understand why this upsets people so. If you are a PS5 owner, buy the game when it comes out on PS5. If you are a PC gamer, buy it when it comes out on PC. If you are both, buy it when it comes out on your preferred platform. Either way, you buy a game once, you enjoy it, and then you move on. Am I missing something?

PC gamers want that Sony release their games on PC sooner or the same day as on PS5.
PC gamers already has this favor from Microsoft Xbox games.
So PC gamers want the best of both worlds, Xbox and PS5.
And they are not upset rather they are dreamers.
I know that it may be only a dream but hey, at least PC gamers dream big on this one

 

[kiwigraeme]

I feel like these recent moves by Microsoft to lock down the games do not bid well for the long term outlook of the console. I just see a slippery slope with how Microsoft is handling its subscription services. Everything is OKAY for now, actually pretty good if you ask some people with xbox game pass, but how long is that going to last? Once MS drives up marketshare it's going to start gouging for its services or having ad supported models....or a combination of the two.....

Sony has so much inertia in certain markets - plus the whole eco-system - Even Sony can not be so stupid to stop PS4/5 compatibility with PS6 plus hard not to as PS6 will just be a PC variation again.
I don't have an XBox - but as someone starting out it's a no brainer - Plus they reward you will more compatibility - Game pass is exceptional value if you have no games
MS is price constrained by market - this is a good cost item for struggling families - Most of us here on TS could probably afford to buy one and throw it away
Then again people are funny - spending too much on a phone and a plan

 

[Burty117]

I still don't understand how ports can be done badly, the latest consoles are literally AMD APU's that would run windows if they were allowed.

This isn't PS3/360 era where the hardware is substantially different. The laziness is staggering.

 

[m4a4]

I still don't understand how ports can be done badly, the latest consoles are literally AMD APU's that would run windows if they were allowed.

This isn't PS3/360 era where the hardware is substantially different. The laziness is staggering.

I would expect a few things:
-They are using their own engine that's not well known for porting to other platforms (an oversight).
-They are focusing on launching on 1 set of hardware (meaning that PC's myriad of hardware configurations are not going to just work).
-They put a sub-part team working on it (and/or gave them a ridiculous time frame to deliver it).

Of course, for how much money Sony (and these publishers have), it should be no excuse by now.

 

[neeyik]

I still don't understand how ports can be done badly, the latest consoles are literally AMD APU's that would run windows if they were allowed.

This isn't PS3/360 era where the hardware is substantially different. The laziness is staggering.

If one is developing a game for the PS5, there’s only one hardware configuration to focus on — that means no variations of CPU, GPU, storage drives, operating systems, and drivers to worry about. That spec is also more than just a mere APU - it has a properly unified memory system, not the half-hearted effort you get in laptops, plus dedicated hardware for handling data between memory and storage. Put simply, making a game for just one, fixed platform is far less complicated than it is for the PC.

PC ports are also rarely given the same amount of development time and resources as the original console version was given, even in cases where it’s a concurrent cross-platform title. And that’s down to money — the console version is more likely to generate revenue than the PC one and it has to, in order to cover the licensing fees and development tools costs.

While there are certainly going to be some individuals out there who could be classed as being lazy workers, painting the entire field with the same brush ignores the absolute minefield that PC game developers have to tip-toe through in order to get the title to run as well on that platform as it does on a console.

 

[Uncle Al]

Just another good reason for me to continue to ignore them ......

 

[Watzupken]

At the end of the day, Sony is a for profit company and will always do what is best in their interest/ profit. Releasing their new titles on the both PS5 and PC will reduce their profits since they earn the most selling new games on their own platform. While I would prefer new games to be available on PCs, but it is expected that Sony won't do this anytime soon. Microsoft have a dual launch strategy on both Xbox and PC, which is great for gamers, but clearly not good for Xbox sale.

 

[yRaz]

At the end of the day, Sony is a for profit company and will always do what is best in their interest/ profit. Releasing their new titles on the both PS5 and PC will reduce their profits since they earn the most selling new games on their own platform. While I would prefer new games to be available on PCs, but it is expected that Sony won't do this anytime soon. Microsoft have a dual launch strategy on both Xbox and PC, which is great for gamers, but clearly not good for Xbox sale.

Microsoft is trying to group PC gamers in with xbox and I haven't really seen any PC gamers raise their hands up and say they're on Team XBOX. I don't even game on windows and I don't have to. Given the option, I think PC gamers would just the Microsoft ship the chance they got if there was a solid alternative. I get good results gaming on Linux but I don't expect people to put the amount of work I did into it.

Microsoft is trying to act like it cares about PC but it really doesn't, it's just looking to sell XBOX game passes. I'm getting some serious "you can't sit with us" vibes from the PC gamers whenever Microsoft says "XBOX and PC"

 

[DSirius]

Microsoft is trying to group PC gamers in with xbox and I haven't really seen any PC gamers raise their hands up and say they're on Team XBOX. I don't even game on windows and I don't have to. Given the option, I think PC gamers would just the Microsoft ship the chance they got if there was a solid alternative. I get good results gaming on Linux but I don't expect people to put the amount of work I did into it.

Microsoft is trying to act like it cares about PC but it really doesn't, it's just looking to sell XBOX game passes. I'm getting some serious "you can't sit with us" vibes from the PC gamers whenever Microsoft says "XBOX and PC"

So you're running games on Steam, Linux Mint 19 with GTX 1070ti?

 

[hahahanoobs]

2-3 years is a long time but Sony has to maximize its console profits first and I can respect that. It sucks but Sony doesn't have to give us any games. I think if Sony games could come quicker to PC it would sway more XBOX users to Sony or PC, but I don't know the inner workings.

Aside from that, the biggest issue I have is after 2-3 years I might have lost interest in the game and have already seen or heard about the ending. Being released in poor condition being the other issue.

 

[shark975]

No chance the gap is 2-3 years in 2-3 years. multiplatform is inevitable.

 

[shark975]

Microsoft is trying to group PC gamers in with xbox and I haven't really seen any PC gamers raise their hands up and say they're on Team XBOX. I don't even game on windows and I don't have to. Given the option, I think PC gamers would just the Microsoft ship the chance they got if there was a solid alternative. I get good results gaming on Linux but I don't expect people to put the amount of work I did into it.

Microsoft is trying to act like it cares about PC but it really doesn't, it's just looking to sell XBOX game passes. I'm getting some serious "you can't sit with us" vibes from the PC gamers whenever Microsoft says "XBOX and PC"

sounds like serious sony fanboy copium. ms is advantaged by shipping titles on Microsoft windows (remember when people say "PC" what they really mean is "Microsoft Windows". So it's kind of funny when Sony fanboys tout PC as if "we're sticking it to that dirty old Xbox/Microsoft" but they are actually touting Microsoft. exclusives is dead everywhere except nintendo (who are unique). if you go look at the most played games on twitch pretty much none of them ever are sony exclusives(which die quickly). For example right now the top 5 are GTA V, Valorant, COD Warzone, League of legends, and Minecraft. I didnt notice any sony exclusive in the top 100 or so on a quick scan (might have missed something). Releasing on PC not only supports windows, but gives MS much more resources to spend on it's games than Sony since they can be monetized across multiple platforms. This was why Sony was forced to begin supporting PC as well.

what surprised me is Microsoft windows is now so popular even sony is forced to release titles on it, I honestly didnt see that hapenning. at this point theres really no reason to own a ps5, not only is it less powerful than series x, but all of it's exclusives will come in far superior form to microsoft windows. and watch,. they will start coming faster and faster instead of 2 years.

 

[yRaz]

So you're running games on Steam, Linux Mint 19 with GTX 1070ti?

6700XT and mint 21, but basically. Proton doesn't do everything for you so sometimes you need to play with stuff but it's fairly trivial once you figure it out.

 

[m4a4]

At the end of the day, Sony is a for profit company and will always do what is best in their interest/ profit. Releasing their new titles on the both PS5 and PC will reduce their profits since they earn the most selling new games on their own platform. While I would prefer new games to be available on PCs, but it is expected that Sony won't do this anytime soon.

If you're short-sighted and assume that the only people buying the games are people with both, sure.

Or you can have it where people can buy the game that were never going to buy your console.

Microsoft have a dual launch strategy on both Xbox and PC, which is great for gamers, but clearly not good for Xbox sale.

They reach a wider audience and get more sales. Where is it not good for Xbox..?

 

[m4a4]

sounds like serious sony fanboy copium. ms is advantaged by shipping titles on Microsoft windows (remember when people say "PC" what they really mean is "Microsoft Windows". So it's kind of funny when Sony fanboys tout PC as if "we're sticking it to that dirty old Xbox/Microsoft" but they are actually touting Microsoft. exclusives is dead everywhere except nintendo (who are unique). if you go look at the most played games on twitch pretty much none of them ever are sony exclusives(which die quickly). For example right now the top 5 are GTA V, Valorant, COD Warzone, League of legends, and Minecraft. I didnt notice any sony exclusive in the top 100 or so on a quick scan (might have missed something). Releasing on PC not only supports windows, but gives MS much more resources to spend on it's games than Sony since they can be monetized across multiple platforms. This was why Sony was forced to begin supporting PC as well.

what surprised me is Microsoft windows is now so popular even sony is forced to release titles on it, I honestly didnt see that hapenning. at this point theres really no reason to own a ps5, not only is it less powerful than series x, but all of it's exclusives will come in far superior form to microsoft windows. and watch,. they will start coming faster and faster instead of 2 years.

MS gets no cut from people buying and playing games on Windows (besides from the unpopular Windows Store). Don't pretend they have any actual advantage on it, considering the myriad of not-MS games that they need to also support along with their games.... lol

 

[Fearghast]

There are so many good games on other platforms, and tons are coming out pretty much every day.
If Sony continuous to do its usual strategy of anti-consumer practices ... which they will, I do not see me changing my purchase habits anytime soon.
Everything with a Sony sticker usually goes through thorough research on my part, as I do not plan to support more tosh made by Sony - headphones, mobile phones, TVs, speakers, PC ports etc.
Probably the only Sony product I would be able to buy with almost no research is made by their photo division, as I believe Sony cameras must be developed in a vacuum, as I rarely see typical Sony BS attached to them.

Funny to see Sony on court arguing M$ gaming division and Activision merge is anticompetitive / anti-consumer.