Sony’s PC Ports Underperformed, Says Hermen Hulst
▼ Summary
– Sony has decided to stop porting its first-party single-player PS5 games to PC because the ports were not generating enough revenue.
– Sales of PC ports, such as Horizon Zero Dawn and Days Gone, were initially strong but declined for later releases like God of War Ragnarok and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
– PS Studios boss Hermen Hulst told staff that PC releases were inconsistent and unprofitable, and Sony wants to keep its IP aligned with its own platform.
– Sony believes that releasing games day-and-date on PC would substantially harm sales of its PlayStation console, where it makes most of its money.
– PC players argue that the ports underperformed because they launched late, at high prices, and in sub-optimal technical states.
Sony has reportedly decided to stop porting its first-party single-player PS5 games to PC, with underwhelming revenue being a primary factor behind the shift. Early PC releases like Horizon Zero Dawn and Days Gone generated strong sales, but later ports such as God of War Ragnarok and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 saw diminishing returns. While official financial data remains unavailable, trends in concurrent player counts and estimates from analytics firm Alinea, published late last year, support this pattern.
After vague remarks from PlayStation CEO Hideaki Nishino earlier this week, Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier clarified Sony’s evolving strategy in a ResetEra post. Schreier revealed that during a recent townhall, PS Studios boss Hermen Hulst told staff that single-player narrative games would remain PlayStation exclusives. Hulst explained that PC releases were inconsistent, failed to generate sufficient revenue, and that Sony wants to keep its intellectual property aligned with its own platform. Schreier confirmed this with two people who heard the statement.
This news has sparked mixed reactions. Polls conducted here suggest most PS5 fans believe Sony should focus its resources on its own ecosystem. That aligns with Nishino’s earlier comments about enhancing the unique gameplay experience possible only on PlayStation.
PC gamers, however, argue this outcome was predictable. They point out that many Sony ports launched late, in sub-optimal condition, and at high prices. The counterargument is that day-and-date releases in better shape would have driven stronger sales.
Looking at the financial picture, it seems Sony never intended to fully commit to PC. Yes, investing more in day-and-date launches could have boosted software sales on Steam, but the company generates the bulk of its revenue from its own console ecosystem. Sony clearly believes that simultaneous PC releases would have significantly hurt PlayStation hardware sales.
So here we are. Sony likely saw PC ports as a way to extend software lifecycles and attract new fans who might eventually buy a PlayStation. But in the end, the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze, and the company is now changing course.
(Source: Push Square)
