Over the past year, PlayStation has made it clear that the company is interested in publishing some of its first-party exclusive titles on PC. This decision was met with mixed reception on the account that some diehard Sony fans felt like the company was diluting its exclusive branding. The more positive side, however, met the news with excitement. PC owners have been wanting to experience the high-quality games that the company is known for publishing, but have been unable to access them due to the inherent exclusivity that comes with first-party Sony games.
Despite some naysayers online, it's pretty clear that more people getting the chance to experience great games is a good thing because, despite Sony's marketing's insistence that its games are best experienced on PlayStation consoles, there's plenty of merit in having titles ported to the PC. What's more, the list of PC ports for first-party titles is relegated to older games that, at this point, are at least several years old. With the formation of the PlayStation PC label, it seems like the company has continued interest in publishing its titles to the platform, which means that future first-party releases might launch alongside PC ports, but currently, there are no official plans for anything like that.
Horizon Zero Dawn
While Horizon Zero Dawn wasn't the first PS4 exclusive to make its way to PC, it was the original first-party title to do so. It marked a major moment for Sony and PC gamers, as the game's PC port proved that the company wanted to make good on its promise to bring its exclusives to the platform. The PC port of Horizon Zero Dawn felt like a symbolic gesture the signified the possibilities that awaited future PlayStation titles that were going to make their way to the platform. Plus, Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the best third-person open-world titles of the last generation that plenty of PC owners had been wanting to play, making it a strong start for the upcoming PC initiative.
Death Stranding
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Death Stranding exists as an outlier for PlayStation Studios, as Kojima Productions, the game's development studio, isn't owned by the publisher. This means that, while Death Stranding was published as a first-party game exclusively on the PS4, it wasn't developed by a first-party studio, meaning that Kojima Productions doesn't have to follow the same guidelines as other PlayStation first-party studios. The result of this meant that Death Stranding was able to make its way to the PC before Sony had officially announced that it was doing other PC ports.
Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and Detroit: Become Human
Similar to Kojima Productions, Quantic Dream, the studio behind Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and Detroit: Become Human, had an exclusivity deal with Sony, but isn't a first-party studio. All three games were published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, but were able to make their way to other platforms following the end of their exclusivity deals. The studio's titles have had a strong connection with the PlayStation brand, however, as they haven't made their way to other platforms aside from their collective release on PC in June of 2020. Quantic Dream's contract with PlayStation ended recently, and rumor has it that the studio is now working on a cross-platform Star Wars title that would hypothetically also get a PC release.
Days Gone
Following the release of Horizon Zero Dawn's PC port, Days Gone was the next Sony first-party developed title to release on PC. While the game was clearly designed to work within the limitations of the PS4, the console it was developed for, Days Gone had some interesting improvements when it made the jump across platforms as PCs can house much better hardware than base models of most home consoles. This was most clearly highlighted in one of Days Gone's biggest selling points: the giant, unrelenting hordes of zombies, or freakers as Deacon calls them in-game, that attack the player while they're exploring the game's large open world. Better hardware means that sections featuring massive moving parts can work much smoother which is precisely what happened with Days Gone's PC port.
God of War (2018)
God of War for PC was the most recently announced port, with fans excited to experience the title that many have called the PS4's absolute peak when the game releases on the platform on January 14, 2022. While that title can be debated, it's clear that excitement for the God of War franchise is potentially at an all-time high thanks to the recent trailer for God of War: Ragnorok. Plenty of PC owners have expressed their interest in the series when it was rebooted in 2018, and now they'll finally be able to follow the story of Kratos and his son. Excitement for the port also seems to be centered around the modding community, which seems to have big plans for the title.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection
The announcement of Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection was pushed under the rug somewhat due to the other reveals surrounding it at this year's PlayStation Showcase, as it is hard to live up to Spider-Man 2, Insomniac's Wolverine game, and God of War: Ragnorok. The collection is just as exciting, however, as it's bringing Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and Uncharted: Lost Legacy to the PS5 alongside the PC in "early 2022." With the upcoming Uncharted film drumming up excitement for the series once more, it seems like the perfect time to help the franchise reach an even bigger audience.
Rumored: Sackboy: A Big Adventure and Bloodborne
While Sackboy: A Big Adventure and Bloodborne share almost nothing, their status as PlayStation exclusives puts them in the category of games that many PC owners want to try on the platform. Bloodborne has been rumored to be coming to PC for years, with conflicting information from gaming insiders surfacing frequently, but rumors about a PC version of Sackboy: A Big Adventure have only just started making the internet rounds. If it's true that Sackboy is headed to PC, a precedent of publishing PS5 games to the platform could be set, but it would likely upset fans who are looking for more popular titles like Bloodborne to be ported to PC first. Regardless, it is clear that PlayStation has big plans for PC releases going forward.