Well, it looks like the long wait for PlayStation Studios games to jump from console to PC isn’t getting shorter anytime soon, according to Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan in an interview with Famitsu which revealed that the “staggered” releases of the PC version of Sony’s games will remain. So don’t expect day-one releases of first-party titles on both PC and console in the future, at least under Sony’s current leadership.
In that interview Jim Ryan actually revealed that Sony is planning to release more PS5 exclusives on its platforms, no specifics on if we are talking just first-party PlayStation Studios games or second/third-party deals that the company may or may not be funding development. Whatever the case might be, it doesn’t change its PC port release mindset as Jim Ryan thinks that PC fans don’t mind waiting two or three years to play their exclusives on the platform.
“We also fully understand the importance of PS5-exclusive titles. As I mentioned earlier, PlayStation Studios’ main responsibility is to have people enjoy the game experience using the latest PS. We are increasing the number of PS5 exclusive titles and staggering the release of the PC version. I often have the opportunity to ask game fans for their opinions, and when I ask them about the time lag, they say that selling the PC version two or three years after the release of the PS version is accepted favourably,” Jim Ryan said in a translated interview with Famitsu (via ResetEra).
Hearing all this from Jim Ryan isn’t necessarily shocking as I always felt like PlayStation was dipping its toe into the market while not fully immersing itself in the platform. The approach is actually the opposite of Xbox which just doesn’t release their games on day one on Game Pass but on the PC Microsoft Store and other storefronts as well.
I think Sony isn’t taking the wrong approach here, if they have a bunch of PC releases (that are hopefully optimized… looking at you The Last of Us Part I) ready for their biggest they can drop them at any point and PC players will probably flock to them to play these exclusives on their preferred platform of choice. I’d be lying though if I didn’t want my PlayStation-exclusive library all (working) on PC though.
Sony’s PC endeavour kicked off in 2021 with the release of Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition with other select experiences to follow including God of War (2018) and Days Gone. Only just recently did PlayStation start giving players a taste of some of its PS5 launch titles which once again reiterates that is taking a stand-off approach by releasing a first-party title minimum of two years after a game’s initial release. The only exception to the rule was Housemarque’s Returnal which had the quickest release from console to PC release so far; less than 22 months.
Jim Ryan didn’t just talk about PC ports but Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s development, Ghost of Tsushima selling one million copies in Japan alone, a bit on PSVR2 saying “are happy to see many positive reactions from users and the media”, and more taking point on the importance of the Japanese market. We’ll see where the future of PlayStatiomn goes from here as Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the only PlayStation Studios title we know officially coming at this point… maybe more will be revealed this coming Wednesday during the PlayStation Showcase.
