It seemed like the day would never come, but Sony has finally committed to bringing more of its exclusive games to PC. Recently, PlayStation's Jim Ryan confirmed that the Days Gone PC port will release at some point in spring 2021. This massive policy change owes everything to the success of the Horizon Zero Dawn port last year. Seeing exclusives come out day-and-date on PC is years off if it ever happens, but PC gamers are more than happy to share in PlayStation’s library of hits. There may not be any more news on this front until after Days Gone lands, but that hasn’t stemmed the hype.
With all this exciting news, PlayStation fans are already abuzz with the possibilities this represents. The feeling here is similar to Atlus releasing Persona 4: The Golden on Steam, and committing to more PC ports in the future. The PlayStation 4 generation has been extremely strong for Sony, and there are a huge number of games from teams around the world that would be great on PC. The doors have been thrown open for more people to enjoy these awesome games. Now is a good time to review PlayStation’s first and third-party exclusives and pick out some of the best and brightest that could make it to PC.
Bloodborne
In the conversation of PlayStation exclusives coming to PC, a Bloodborne PC port comes up time and time again. This game is beloved among casual PlayStation 4 players and Dark Souls diehards alike for its challenging but fair combat and compelling Lovecraftian world. The excitement for a Bloodborne PC release is so strong that the game briefly started trending on Twitter the day Days Gone’s port was announced. People love this game, and seeing it get new life on PC would be wonderful.
It bears mentioning that fans don’t just want a Bloodborne port, they want a Bloodborne remaster. Bloodborne suffers from serious frame pacing issues that the PlayStation 5’s raw power can do nothing about. The frame rate is supposed to hold 30, but it constantly jumps around while doing something as simple as moving through the environment. A prominent modder released a patch forcing Bloodborne to run at a locked 60 fps, but not everyone can reliably apply it. It would be much appreciated if Sony could hire a team to fix this issue for both a PC release and PS5 update.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Fans have been waiting for Square Enix to announce Final Fantasy 7 Remake on PC and PS5 for almost a year now. With any luck, once that announcement does come, it will arrive on PC as well as current-gen consoles. Square Enix trademarks for “Ever Crisis” and “The First Soldier” have been known for a while now, and there is a possibility that one of them could be an upgrade to 7 Remake. An appearance on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S may include a higher framerate, greater resolutions, extra story content, and perhaps even more lighting effects. The possibilities for Final Fantasy 7 Remake seem endless, and series fans would no doubt love to see those possibilities realized on their computers.
Marvel’s Spiderman
The 2018 Marvel’s Spider-Man broke records by being the fastest-selling superhero game in US history, and the biggest PlayStation exclusive launch ever. As of November 2020, it has sold 20 million units worldwide, and has been followed-up with a bite-sized sequel titled Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Sony has every reason it could ask for to port this game to PC, as it would sell immensely well just on its name alone.
This open world masterpiece would benefit greatly from the more customizable graphics options PC games receive, as players could adjust everything from the crowds walking New York’s streets to the lighting and reflections on skyscrapers. If the PC port allows it, this game could theoretically run on much older systems and still look okay. The PS5 remaster already has 60 fps and ray-tracing options, so top-end systems should be able to make it look great regardless. And if the first Spider-Man comes to PC, why not bring Miles along for the ride? The possibilities for the two games are enormous, and their sales numbers probably would be too.
Gravity Rush
A pair of PC ports that would make certain players very pleased is PlayStation’s niche darling duology, Gravity Rush Remastered and Gravity Rush 2. These games have a small but passionate following due to their unique gravity-manipulating gameplay, charming aesthetic, and intriguing story and characters.
Gravity Rush began its life as a Vita game, before being remastered for PS4. Gravity Rush 2 came out on PS4 alone, and while it has suffered some framerate issues, the PS5 now allows it to run at a locked 30 fps. This could be pushed up to 60 with a PC port and appropriate remaster, which would please the fanbase greatly. While this series’ future is unclear due to the creator leaving to begin his own studio, acknowledgement of its continued existence via a PC port would be a welcome sight.
God of War
A big name that comes to mind on the topic of PC ports is the 2018 God of War reboot. Following Kratos' adventures fighting Greek gods in Ancient Greece, this title sees Kratos and his son Atreus through several realms of Viking mythology. The unlikely pair grow as a family, and crack an army’s worth of heads while doing so. This game was notable for combining God of War’s usual action gameplay with RPG-like mechanics, allowing for plenty of customization of Kratos and Atreus’ equipment and abilities. The game even sported a successful “open field” design approach, allowing players to explore a gradually unfolding world and access several bonus areas.
God of War and its sequel would fit PC perfectly. Indeed, it would be nice to see the entire God of War franchise come to modern platforms, but that can come at a later date. God of War is one of Sony’s flagship franchises, and having it help pioneer the PC initiative is an obvious and likely move. Rumors have already started to circulate about a God of War PC port, and considering the game's massive popularity, it would make a lot of sense to keep it fresh and available.