Hey there, it’s your resident PC gamer who believes that all platforms are viable for gaming. I suppose by now, most people have realized that PlayStation games coming to the PC is a thing and will be for the considerable future. PlayStation has lived up to its promise, releasing several titles that have sold like gangbusters on the PlayStation 4. With the most recent release being Marvel’s Spider-Man, you’re missing out on some damned good gaming if you haven’t played it. However, now that this has happened, the questions that are so many minds is, “Will PlayStation bring over PlayStation 5 games to the PC?” Or even better, “Why put PlayStation 5 games on the PC?” Well, let’s talk about both of those questions, shall we?
These shouldn’t be the question, not at all. PlayStation 5 games arrive on the PC; It’s just a matter of time for this to happen. We don’t know when that’s going to happen, but it will happen. PlayStation has already said that we shouldn’t expect PlayStation 5 games to be simultaneously released on the console and the PC. But I can faintly remember when the notion of any 1st party PlayStation 4 game was nothing but sweet dreams. Yet, here we are.
It’s been a while since I got to play devil’s advocate, and I like doing that, so let’s toy with the notion of PlayStation 5 games being released on both the console and the PC simultaneously. I am speculating for those who like to take things and run away with them. I have NO ties with PlayStation (they won’t even talk to us), nor do I have any insider information. It’s just a consumer and gamer looking at things from both perspectives.
Also, don’t come here all salty. It’s a speculation piece! It’s fun to speculate. There’s no harm in that, and no one outside of those at PlayStation knows what’s going on.
What are the pros?
Well, for starters, PlayStation could make a bit more money when those games eventually drop. Just imagine those PlayStation 5 games making the company five million dollars over its initial sale period. Adding in the PC, the company could possibly see an additional two to three million dollars or more. More money is great for any company, and PlayStation is a business, and I doubt that it would turn away money.
Regardless of what anyone thinks, we’re not out of the bad situation of silicone being available to make all those lovely technological things. Thankfully, it’s gotten a lot better, but the industry is still quite a bit away from it being over. While we’ve seen more PlayStation 5s available for sale, millions of gamers still can’t get their hands on the consoles. No, we won’t include scalpers and resellers in this; let’s keep this reasonable.
As for when this shortage is over, who knows? Some said we could see it ending towards the end of 2022. Others said mid-2023. But the real answer is that no one knows when it will be over. We could easily see another spike in the COVID-19 pandemic, and suddenly, all the available silicone could go towards producing more healthcare and medical equipment, which would be terrible for PlayStation (and everyone else).
Fewer PS5s in the hands of consumers means fewer games to be sold, which means PlayStation stands won’t make as much capital on game sales. So, putting those games onto the PC sooner than later doesn’t seem like a bad idea after all.
Day one PlayStation 5 game releases would also mean that the PlayStation user base would grow. Like what Xbox has done, we’re now seeing Xbox’s 1st-party games released alongside their console counterparts on the PC. Sure, it took a while for Xbox to release this, but now that they finally did, it’s been great for PC gamers who don’t or didn’t want to own an Xbox but wanted to play Xbox-published games. There’s no reason why PlayStation couldn’t or shouldn’t do the same.
As for those sexy DualSense controller features, the PC can also do that. We’ve seen those in action with several 3rd-party games already. That wouldn’t be a concern and definitely an advantage.
Ok, what about the cons?
The most apparent detractor on everyone’s minds is that bringing PS5 games to the PC at the same time as the console would mean that fewer PS5s would be sold. But anyone who believes that is kidding themselves. The PlayStation 5 would cost a fraction of what it costs for a gaming PC that would run those PS5 ports at a premium level. We’re talking about playing those games at a level close to the PlayStation 5, so that cost is going to add up.
Otherwise, why even buy them on the PC? We’re talking at least $500 dollars for the CPU. Another $300-400 for the processor. We haven’t even gotten to the RAM, hard drive, case, or power supply. So the idea of the PS5 suddenly selling less since those games would be available for the PC, at the same time, is humorous at best. We’re talking about playing those games at a level close to the PlayStation 5, so that cost is going to add up.
We all know PlayStation scoped up Nixxes to work on those optimized PlayStation 4 ports. However, Nixxes is just one studio, and it can’t handle multiple ports at once. We’ve already had one specific PlayStation 4 title, Horizon Zero Dawn, get ported to the PC. However, it needed multiple optimizations after release. And there lies the main con here, optimization.
Just like any PC port or any native PC title, optimization is both key and a sore spot. Why? There are tens of hundreds of gaming PC configurations. Various different processors, GPUs, hard drives, memory, resolution types, and so forth have to be factored in. There is no single hardware baseline for PC gaming. Not unless you count the Steam Deck or any number of existing and upcoming handheld gaming PCs. Or, for that matter, gaming laptops. When it comes to desktops, that’s a completely different matter.
It is quite possible that while a ported PS5 game runs great on my PC, it won’t run so well on yours. Then you get frustrated about both PS5 ports and PC gaming, and suddenly you start to wonder why did PlayStation even consider this. Which could be the most significant negative I can think of.
Let’s be real for a moment
There’s nothing stopping PlayStation 5 games from heading to the PC on day one, or even shortly afterward, other than PlayStation. People being scared that their favorite plastic box is going to suddenly disappear or become insignificant is a silly notion that console loyalists need to let go of. I’m sure PlayStation has thought about making this a reality but also doesn’t want to disappoint those who purchased PlayStation 5s. Like that hasn’t already happened — PlayStation 5 games that were once exclusive are now available for the PlayStation 4, anybody?
I’m confident that this will eventually happen, and when it does, PlayStation is going to realize that it should have done it sooner. Just look at Spider-Man Remastered on the PC. Currently, it’s the number one selling game on Steam, despite people complaining about the game being too expensive. God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Days Gone sold exceptionally well, and we’re all waiting for Uncharted to drop next. Yes, those are PlayStation 4 games, and that’s the point.
If those older games sold so well, imagine how well the newer games will sell. Sure, call me names and disagree with me, but when it happens, well, it will just happen. There’s even a little rumor that a specific PS5 game is being prepped for a PC release. Granted, it’s only a rumor, so I didn’t name which game it is. However, the first PS4 that made its way to the PC also started as a rumor.
Until this happens, I’ll be content wondering what PlayStation has up its sleeves, and I won’t be as surprised as some others might. Oh, and I’m waiting for that eventual Bloodborne PC port.
