Summary
Sony doesn’t think there’s a major risk of losingPlayStationconsole users to PC, according to a company official. This revelation was shared as part of a recent overview of how PC fits into thePlayStationmaker’s publishing strategy.
Sony began bringing its first-party titles to PC in 2020, withHorizon Zero Dawnbeing the first game to receive such a treatment. The company’s efforts on this front have intensified ever since, especially afterSony acquired the PC porting powerhouse that is Nixxesin 2021.
Whileporting PlayStation exclusives to PCextends their reach and revenue-making potential, it also diminishes the unique buying proposition of Sony’s hardware, at least in theory. In practice, the gaming giant isn’t too concerned with losing PS5 users to PC, with a company representativestatingas much during a late 2024 Q&A session with investors. “In terms of losing users to PCs, we have neither confirmed that any such trend is underway, nor do we see it as a major risk, so far,” the official said.
PS5 Sales Are Seemingly Unaffected By Sony’s PC Porting Efforts
Sony’s perspective aligns with the company’s recent performance in the hardware space.The latest official PS5 sales figuresreveal that the company’s current-gen console had sold 65.5 million units as of November 2024. This puts it roughly in the ballpark of the PS4, which sold a bit over 73 million units in its first four years on the market. The minimal difference between the two consoles' sales tallies can more readily be explained by the pandemic-induced scarcity of the PS5 rather than the console’s lack of permanent exclusives. With Sony’s console sales remaining steady across generations, it’s unsurprising that the company views PC ports as having minimal impact on the PS5’s overall value proposition.
In terms of losing users to PCs, we have neither confirmed that any such trend is underway, nor do we see it as a major risk, so far.
The PlayStation maker is not only expected to continue its push for PC ports but may also do so with greater intensity. In 2024, Sony President Hiroki Totoki stated that the company plans tobecome even more “aggressive” with PlayStation PC ports, in the sense that it would shorten the gap between their PS5 and Steam releases.Marvel’s Spider-Man 2is reflective of this strategic shift, being scheduled to reach PC on January 30, only 15 months following its original launch. The previous entry in Insomniac’s series,Spider-Man: Miles Morales, was a PlayStation exclusive for over two years.
Apart fromSpider-Man 2, PC gamers have another current PlayStation exclusive to look forward to this month, asFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthis scheduled to reach Steam on January 23. Sony still has several high-profile PS5 exclusives that are yet to be announced for PC, includingGran Turismo 7,Rise of the Ronin,Stellar Blade, and theDemon’s Soulsremake.
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