The notion that the PS5 exclusive Returnal might be coming out on PC in the relatively near future has been underlined once more with the latest video leak. Whereas Sony is yet to even hint that a PC version of the game is in production, various leaks and screenshots of it running on PC have been coming out as of late, with SteamDB repositories suggesting the same.
Widely acclaimed for its narrative, gameplay, and its rogue-lite progression systems, Returnal was one of Sony's exclusive PlayStation 5 launch titles with no apparent plans to push for a multi-platform release at any point. Over the past couple of months, however, more and more information has been coming out that suggests that Sony is, in fact, working on a PC build of Returnal in apparent secrecy.
The latest video leak seems to be entirely separate from the previous SteamDB leak of Returnal on PC, with the player scrolling through a PC-looking user interface with a graphics settings menu. Options such as shadow quality, resolution scaling, and even various raytracing features are all on show with appropriate toggles or sliders, where applicable. DLSS and FSR upscaling functionality is also made available, by the looks of it. Further, the uppermost section of the menu features keyboard input glyphs, seemingly confirming that Returnal is being played using a mouse and a keyboard.
One of the previous leaks went into more depth in regard to the SteamDB leak, which was revealed to have references to Returnal's apparent optimization for the Steam Deck. While it's certainly true that Sony has yet to announce much of anything about Returnal coming out on PC, it's difficult to ignore what looks like a mountain of evidence in its favor. At the same time, it's always worth keeping a pinch of salt at hand, on the off chance that this is an incredibly well-realized fake of some sort.
Sony has yet to chime in on the matter, but the original upload of the video featured above was already taken down at least once, which could certainly be taken to mean that Sony is trying to keep the whole thing under wraps for some reason. With the developer of Returnal working on a new IP rather than attempting to produce a sequel, this secrecy may seem particularly strange.
If Sony ends up announcing Returnal for PC in an official capacity, it's going to be interesting to see whether PC gamers get the Ascendancy update for Returnal at launch, as well. One of the biggest content updates the game ever received, it featured a comprehensive co-op multiplayer mode and the Tower of Sisyphus game mode among other tidbits, making it a highly desirable addition for a potential re-launch on a new platform.
Returnal is available now for PlayStation 5.