February 1st 2025.
Have you heard the news? Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has finally made its way to PC! As a gamer, this might sound like great news. However, one reader has raised an interesting point about Sony's decision to port PS5 games to PC. They argue that it undermines the whole purpose of having a console. Let's dive into their perspective and see if it holds any weight.
Personally, I've been following the reports about Xbox this week with a sense of detachment. It's been said that Xbox is now the biggest games company in the world, and that Call of Duty's presence on Game Pass hasn't had much impact on subscription numbers. On top of that, more Xbox exclusives are now making their way to PlayStation 5. As someone who hasn't owned an Xbox since the Xbox 360 era, this doesn't directly affect me. But it is strange to see the rivalry between PlayStation and Xbox essentially become a thing of the past.
I believe most reasonable PlayStation owners would agree that Sony needs strong competition to keep them on their toes. Without it, any company that gains a monopoly will eventually become anti-consumer. No matter how good their intentions were when they were fighting for dominance in the market.
As any gamer knows, exclusive games are the foundation of any gaming platform. It's the primary reason why you choose to buy a particular console. Without exclusives, the Xbox becomes irrelevant to most people. After all, why invest in a format that offers no exclusives when you can play them on another platform? In today's gaming landscape, exclusives are more vital than ever for PlayStation. That's why I believe they should abandon the PC market.
I won't go into detail about all of Sony's missteps with the PlayStation 5 – we all know what they've been like. But I think that, more than the lack of games, their biggest issue is their refusal to explain or communicate their strategy. Maybe there's a valid reason for the lack of releases in the last two years, but we can only speculate because they never tell us.
Similarly, they never explained why they started porting PlayStation 5 games to PC. And on the surface, it seems like a terrible idea. They just started doing it a few years ago, with Horizon Zero Dawn being the first one. But there was no explanation, no discussion, and no apparent purpose.
Of course, they'll make money from selling these games, but the majority of them haven't been successful. Until Dawn and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered didn't perform well, and even The Last of Us had disappointing sales. I read today that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has also had a weak start. So clearly, making money isn't a sufficient reason for this decision.
The only exception is Helldivers 2, but if Sony wants to release all of their live service titles on PC, that's fine. I personally don't care about those games. What I do care about are their core, single-player games being available on PC.
Each game that loses its exclusivity is another reason not to buy a PlayStation 5. And I'm not sure why Sony doesn't see this. There have been some hints that they're starting to rethink their strategy, but until they officially announce a change or I see a shift in their policy, I'll assume they're sticking with this approach.
Perhaps Sony is content with becoming a third-party publisher like Microsoft. I highly doubt it, but if that's the case, they're undermining the most significant selling point of their console without any financial gain. Even if it's a smaller game that isn't as popular, like Until Dawn, it's still one less exclusive for the console and another game tarnishing its reputation.
Personally, I prefer consoles over PCs. I don't want to have to worry about upgrades, compatibility issues, or driver updates. I just want to turn on my console, select my game, and start playing. That's the experience that has made PlayStation such a success for the last three decades. So I can't understand why they would throw it all away for no apparent reason.
In conclusion, the reader raises a valid point about Sony's decision to port PS5 games to PC. It's a move that seems to go against the very nature of what makes consoles unique and appealing. Only time will tell if Sony will continue down this path or rethink their strategy. But one thing is for sure – exclusive games will always be the heart and soul of any gaming platform.
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[Generative AI is experimental.]
