Sony Didn't Have Much Profit on Releasing Their Games on PC Because of Timing

After plenty of rumors, Sony has officially changed its strategy about releasing their titles on PC. The studio has decided to concentrate the releases of upcoming games just on PlayStation 5, and that means the upcoming titles like Marvel’s Wolverine, Saros, or Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet will never be released on PC, although the previous installments of the developers have been ported to the platform.

One of the biggest reasons, and possibly the main reason why Sony decided to stop releasing their single-player titles on PC, is the profit the company received. But, according to the new research made by Newzoo and revealed by GamesIndustry.biz, the company trapped itself by not releasing their games on PlayStation 5 and PC simultaneously. And this tendency is related to other companies as well, not just Sony. More detailed info you can check below:

"Newzoo’s data shows that PlayStation titles ported to PC after their console launch typically see PC account for around 13% of total players in the first three months across both releases. By comparison, when comparable AAA titles launch simultaneously on PC and console, PC contributes closer to 44% of players in the same period."

What’s notable is that this pattern is not specific to Sony’s first-party portfolio. We see almost no difference between first-party PlayStation titles (12% PC share) and third-party PlayStation exclusives (13%), suggesting the outcome is primarily driven by the staggered release strategy rather than franchise demand on PC.

When a PC version arrives years after the console launch, much of the early lifecycle demand has already been captured on the primary platform."

The director of market intelligence at Newzoo, Manu Rosier, has also given a detailed view of how much gamers were involved in Sony’s titles since their launch, especially those games that were released earlier and sooner—and there is a big difference (and downgrade).

"Looking at individual titles, the earlier wave of PlayStation PC releases captured relatively strong player shares on the platform," says Rosier. "Horizon Zero Dawn reached a 22% PC share (~4M lifetime players), God of War (2018) 14% (~3.5M), and Marvel’s Spider-Man 14% (~3.8M)."

"More recent ports have generally seen smaller PC shares, including Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (8%), Horizon Forbidden West (7%), God of War Ragnarök (6%), and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (5%). Ghost of Tsushima is a notable exception at 11% PC share (~2.1M players), likely supported by being the franchise’s first PC release."

"The key takeaway is that release timing has a significant impact on PC engagement. When a PC version arrives years after the console launch, much of the early lifecycle demand has already been captured on the primary platform."

After this report, now it’s easier to understand Sony’s desire to release their games on PlayStation 5 only. It’s unreasonable for the company to launch upcoming titles simultaneously on PlayStation 5 and PC, and porting the games in a few years seems an absurd idea.

What do you think of Sony’s decision not to release their games on PC? Share your thoughts in the comments below!