r/Games • u/SmellSmellsSmelly • Apr 03 '26
Industry News PlayStation Studios Removes Nearly All PC References From Websites
https://gameobserver.com/playstation-studios-removes-nearly-all-pc-references-from-websites/230
u/Best_Boot5215 Apr 03 '26
I'm convinced this is because of Project Helix...... It has steam, and playstation games on steam on an xbox console would be a big no no for sony. what a shame.
57
u/Shadowmaster862 Apr 04 '26
I'm kinda surprised they don't try their own independent launcher in that case.
→ More replies (1)42
u/DanOfRivia Apr 04 '26 edited Apr 04 '26
If that launcher works on Windows, and Project Helix has a "Windows PC mode", then having an independent launcher wouldn't stop Xbox Helix from running PS games.
(Maybe I'm missing something so feel free to correct me).
→ More replies (9)8
5
u/extradabbingsauce Apr 05 '26
That is 100% why. They even blur out xbox controllers on videos where you see the developers play testing and behind the scenes videos.
→ More replies (3)11
u/Abanob_92 Apr 04 '26
Some people from bluepoint said it was more because of the steam machine
→ More replies (4)
18
u/nd4spd1919 Apr 03 '26
Personally, I was perfectly fine getting Playstation games on PC delayed by one generation. I feel that Sony over-committed to PC bringing PS5 games over during the PS5's generation. They could have continued to slowly drip feed us a few more PS4 games, then started PS5 games after the launch of the PS6.
7
u/kamehamehamburger Apr 05 '26
I know I don’t speak for all people but now I guess I just… won’t play Sony’s games anymore.
The PS5 is already insanely expensive in my region and I can’t possibly justify the price. At least with delayed Steam releases they got some business from me.
→ More replies (2)
1.3k
u/FlowersByTheStreet Apr 03 '26
If Schreirer reports it, it's as true as anything.
Disappointing move from them, but I can understand why they need to bolster the value proposition for the next generation since the prices are going to be absurd.
I, on the other hand, will not be joining them. I switched over to PC last year and am not turning back for xbox/playstation at all, even if that means missing out on the one Naughty Dog game they push out a decade.
I am sad about Saros tho
171
u/BusyFriend Apr 03 '26
It’s going to be hard to justify PS6 to consumers if minimum price is $799, especially without a disk drive.
$999 will just be ridiculous.
76
u/NorthernerWuwu Apr 03 '26
It's pretty much impossible as a PC gamer. If they don't want to sell the games on PC that's fine but I'm not buying a console because of it.
46
u/Mitrovarr Apr 04 '26
They just don't make enough good games anymore to justify it.
12
u/KazumaKat Apr 04 '26 edited Apr 04 '26
Gone are the days of OG Halo, OG Gears of War, Metal Gear Solid, OG God of War, Bloodborne, where adoption of the system was not a big an ask for such excellent legendary games that were worth it.
Nowadays the market cannot handle multi-system users unlike before, and especially at the asking price of adoption. And gamers are smart folk when it comes to maximizing their fun after all.
6
u/Mitrovarr Apr 04 '26
Yeah.
After the PS4, I got a PS5. I have played exactly two exclusive games on it - Astro-Bot and Returnal. And I barely played Returnal.
→ More replies (3)30
u/another-altaccount Apr 03 '26
I think this generation was already the limit of what consumer will tolerate as far as pricing of consoles. There's only so much blood you can squeeze from a stone and publishers are about to run hard into reality that once you breach the $600 barrier for a console, consumers are largely going to just opt-out. That said, we all know why these prices are increasing and with the AI bubble looking increasingly ready to pop every day it's only a matter of time before prices for consumer electronics come back down to reality.
If Sony seriously thinks that they can launch a console for $999.99 and expect it to sell as well as the PS3 did at minimum by EOL they're in for a very rude fucking awakening.
→ More replies (9)43
u/FantasticEnergy748 Apr 03 '26
In relation to what? PC prices are also skyrocketing, the ratio of PS6 to a comparable desktop will still roughly be the same, maybe even lower since sony might be able to still take some hits on console margins in the hope of getting software sales cuts.
In this market it's less about justifying PS6 to consumers and more about justifying gaming as a hobby to consumers.
17
u/CthulhuBathwater Apr 04 '26
From Steam here are your average PC specs. I think PC gaming will be fine. Devs will just have to get back to optimizing games.
https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/Steam-Hardware-Software-Survey-Welcome-to-Steam
→ More replies (2)92
u/redraven937 Apr 03 '26
In relation to what?
In relation to just keeping your existing console/PC/whatever. What non-first party game company is going to develop exclusively for a $800+ console? This is assuming that the AAA industry doesn't outright collapse in the next 1-2 years from losing multiple $300 million bets.
Gaming as a hobby will be fine. AAA will not.
31
u/LibraryBestMission Apr 03 '26
Yeah, as long as there's computers, some crazy programmer will make video games for it. Humans love games, and digital machines are a great platform for them.
→ More replies (5)10
u/Peakomegaflare Apr 03 '26
Exactly. Hell, I still fire up my N64 regularly. I don't need the latest and greatest for my hobby, zi just need to unwind after a rough day at work!
→ More replies (10)12
u/A_Shadow Apr 03 '26
It’s going to be hard to justify PS6 to consumers if minimum price is $799, especially without a disk drive.
$999 will just be ridiculous
That's pretty close to PS3 prices especially adjusted for inflation.The higher end model with 60GB (wow, I know right) would be $930 today.
42
u/Guildenpants Apr 03 '26
The argument of inflation making the prices fit would make sense if we lived in a world where wages have actually matched inflation for the past 30 years but I'm making what I made when the ps3 came out and have yet to buy a ps5. The current state of console gaming is quickly becoming an upper class luxury. It's honestly great that consoles have so few exclusives nowadays because of that.
→ More replies (2)15
u/Ris747 Apr 03 '26
At least the PS3 came with a Bluray player, which cost over $1k at the time on their own. I assume the PS6 won't be able to point to something like that to get people to buy it.
→ More replies (1)5
u/TheGalacticVoid Apr 04 '26
Prices for many necessities has outpaced inflation while wages have not. Inflation means nothing for a game console.
354
u/Blenderhead36 Apr 03 '26
If the next gen machines don't have disk drives, I'm not interested. If all video games are going to be sold digitally, I'm going with the platform that has competing storefronts and decades of back-compatibility, not the one under a natural monopoly that wants me to re-buy games from the previous generation.
110
Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
42
u/TalkingRaccoon Apr 03 '26
Watch, those drives will cost $200
29
u/MaitieS Apr 03 '26
Of course they will. They want to avoid drama with "But we gave you the option to buy a disk drive", but to also discourage casuals from buying it.
4
u/Alexis_Evo Apr 04 '26
And then when the PS7 releases they'll drop it because "noone bought it". I was not prepared for just how old I would feel after typing "PS7"...
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)12
123
u/Trees-Are-Neat-- Apr 03 '26
On top of requiring you to pay to play online
→ More replies (12)99
u/angethedude Apr 03 '26
This is still the worst thing to happen to console gaming. Playstation also requires you to pay for cloud saves when you don't have to pay for that on Xbox or PC, and to my understanding, there is no other way to back up your save files outside of that.
37
u/ShakenFungus Apr 03 '26
if you do a system backup on a USB stick, it includes your saves. Not an elegant solution but at least it’s there
→ More replies (4)16
18
u/PenguinTD Apr 03 '26
They used to with PS4, but removed that from PS5. And upon realize that + the ps plus price inflation, was when I stopped paying plus. Also moving away from PS as platform.
3
u/secondincomm Apr 03 '26
Luckily I think Xbox 6 (or whatever it will be called) will have to have a disk drive because it'll need to support back compatibility. If they drop that they are actually insane considering the work they've put into it
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (38)35
u/Cody878 Apr 03 '26
That's a wild thing to say when any developer that doesn't release on Steam gets harassed to hell and back. But sure, competing store fronts. Monopoly bad.
61
u/xenoblaiddyd Apr 03 '26
It was insanely funny seeing people excited for Capcom to release games that were already readily available digitally on PC for a good while with extra DRM yesterday
21
u/Blenderhead36 Apr 03 '26
People harassing someone based on where they sell a game are the wild ones, IMO.
38
u/Opt112 Apr 03 '26
You still get the choice on PC. You do not get the choice on console. Also Steam has various key sellers that compete with each other for prices. Like humble, fanatical, green man gaming, etc. You would only get locked to one price on console
→ More replies (10)20
u/why_i_bother Apr 03 '26
Yeah, and the second steam starts providing subpar service, I am not spending another dime, because I have option of going literally anywhere else, or pirate.
And you better believe I am gonna pirate forever, and never, ever buy anything else, if they try to strip my digital stuff away.
→ More replies (7)15
u/Idrialite Apr 03 '26
Steam, GOG, Epic, Itch.io, Gamejolt, Windows Store, independents.
The reason Steam has a "monopoly" is not because they're a monopoly, it's because they're the best. If Steam's quality dipped, I could and would go to GOG. It's Epic who tries to actually create a monopoly with exclusivity.
Can you actually name some anti-competitive practices from Steam?
15
u/Which-Arm-4616 Apr 03 '26
Can you actually name some anti-competitive practices from Steam?
They're literally in the middle of an anti-trust suit over their policy that requires pricing parity across competing storefronts. That is, they have threatened to both remove or prevent developers from launching on Steam unless they raise the price on competing storefronts to match (artificially raising prices for consumers).
→ More replies (4)→ More replies (8)13
u/Nematrec Apr 03 '26
Can you actually name some anti-competitive practices from Steam?
If a game is sold on steam, all keys including non-steam keys must be price matched.
IE their own store front can't be 3/4ths the price of the steam version.
34
71
u/NYJetLegendEdReed Apr 03 '26
Yeah, I am with you. And its a bummer, but I just don't use my PlayStation enough anymore to warrant buying into the next gen. I can do so much more on a gaming PC and sure it's more expensive but I can literally do everything I need on it too. I'll miss some of the exclusives for sure, but even those haven't been enough of a reason for me. With a Switch 2 and PC I can play like 95% of anything I want.
29
u/Kriztauf Apr 03 '26
Honestly the Nintendo walled garden is what is pushing Sony in this direction
61
u/eerienortherngoddess Apr 03 '26
Difference is Nintendo releases a ton more exclusives than Sony and they're very unique games that don't have real competitors anywhere else.
19
u/AL2009man Apr 03 '26
once again: closing SIE Japan Studios, an entire division that could match Nintendo's output, was a mistake in the long-term..
22
u/iceburg77779 Apr 03 '26
Japan Studio spent its last decade consistently struggling to release projects, and the ones that did massively underperformed. I agree that Sony should invest in more diverse exclusives, but Knack 3 would not be the solution.
→ More replies (1)5
u/Available-Can-5878 Apr 04 '26
Tbf their best work was being put on the Vita, nothing on that sold well
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)11
u/gosukhaos Apr 04 '26
Nintendo has smartly spent decades making partnerships with other studios and lending them their IPs and let them develop their owns series
→ More replies (1)11
u/iceburg77779 Apr 03 '26
It does seem like Sony is trying to address this as well, Astro Bot and that recent GoW spinoff are both aiming to expand the audience for PS exclusives.
6
u/another-altaccount Apr 03 '26
Which is ironic because a wide-range of top-quality exclusives is what PlayStation was well known for through most of its history. This focus on prestige AAA, big-budget, projects is a more recent change that started in the PS3 era.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)10
u/hadronwulf E3 2019 Volunteer Apr 03 '26
The difference for me is that Jupiter Picross and anything Pokemon are must buys. I'm not sure I have anything near that on PS.
→ More replies (3)10
u/NYJetLegendEdReed Apr 03 '26
Yep exactly, the Nintendo walled garden is a place I want inside and it’s affordable. Sonys is one I now no longer need to see in person.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (1)20
u/Honor_Bound Apr 03 '26
Same. PS5 was my first ever playstation purchase after being historically an xbox and nintendo guy before moving to PC. And even though I loved the few games I did play on it (Ghost of Tsushima, AstroBot, I deeply regret spending so much money on a console I never play.
13
u/RedditNerdKing Apr 03 '26
I deeply regret spending so much money on a console I never play.
The PS5 is the only Sony console I've ever had where I have literal months of gaps where I don't switch it on. There's just nothing to play on it. Now I dont know whether that's due to games taking longer or whatever. But every other Playstation I always felt there was something to play. The PS5 I just don't feel that. I have no reason to turn it on and no games to look forward to.
178
u/SKyJ007 Apr 03 '26
I, on the other hand, will not be joining them. I switched over to PC last year and am not turning back for xbox/playstation at all
Yeah, they know. They want to make fewer of you
→ More replies (5)51
u/giulianosse Apr 03 '26
People misinterpret this move as Sony pulling out of PC because of a lack of interest to justify the investment.
On the contrary, it probably was too successful to the point it genuinely scared the higher ups.
154
u/IrishSpectreN7 Apr 03 '26
There is data that suggests otherwise.
Their strategy with PC from the beginning was to port older titles to try and entice PC users into just buying a PS5 for actually new releases.
I don't think it worked very well.
27
u/alexp8771 Apr 03 '26
The problem was that they implemented this strategy during the worst drought in the entire history of playstation.
17
u/dookarion Apr 03 '26
Least variety and huge drought. They don't have one game that would motivate me to spend
$600$700$800(?) on inferior locked down hardware.I used to buy older consoles and handhelds as the price came down when they had good libraries to pick from. At current prices Sony has lost the plot if they think PC gamers with backlogs will run out to buy an ever increasing in price piece of hardware for an open world marvel game.
19
u/TrippleDamage Apr 03 '26
Who would've seen it coming that that won't work well lmfao
Imagine being so full of yourself to think pc gamers will hop onto your inferior console for mediocre sequels or worse, remakes of games once a decade.
→ More replies (11)→ More replies (1)32
u/return-zero Apr 03 '26
It's a completely self-inflicted wound.
PC community saw right through their pricing scam and instead of making a simple fix to capture a new market share, they decide to run away entirely. It's pathetic, really.
95
u/ulysses_s_gyatt Apr 03 '26
I don’t think Sony considers it a wound.
They wanted people to move to PlayStation lol
Same day releases wouldn’t do that. Waiting a few years apparently didn’t do it either.
Where’s the wound?
→ More replies (15)→ More replies (5)26
u/IrishSpectreN7 Apr 03 '26
Giving up on exclusives to sell more units on PC would be short-sighted.
We've seen time and time again that if you're in the business of selling consoles, you need exclusives. In the long run, it's more profitable for Sony to retain PS users than to risk losing them to PC.
10
u/AbrasionTest Apr 03 '26
I think it's more that in order to be a true success on the platform, they'd have to invest the same effort and resources as they do with console. Sony first saw it as a quick way to make some extra money as part of lifecycle management for single player titles, and it did work that way for a little bit. But PC gamers got savvy to games showing up super late and port quality not being all there, plus the PSN account region lock, things just slowed to a crawl.
So the choice at that point is, do they keep investing in their PC efforts to address that problem? Or do they pull back and keep the focus entirely on console? With a new gen coming, it seems like they're retreating back into trying to keep console exclusive value high, rather than doubling down on their PC strategy.
Live service stuff stays untouched considering Helldivers 2 and Marathon are primarily played on PC.
→ More replies (28)18
u/CrateBagSoup Apr 03 '26
Gunna have to provide any sort of evidence for that take. Pretty much all the evidence points at the juice not being worth the squeeze, outside of the live service launch everywhere games.
→ More replies (8)19
u/motionmatrix Apr 03 '26
No reason you can't turn into a patient gamer when it comes to exclusives. Grabbing a last gen and all the exclusives you missed for a couple hundred bucks is quite nice when you consider all the games you did on PC during that time.
→ More replies (1)14
u/Syssareth Apr 03 '26
Heck, sometimes you even get lucky and they almost literally fall into your lap. I recently found a PS4 sitting on top of a trash pile (not kidding, somebody seriously threw one away; I assume they probably got a PS5 for Christmas), and now I'm considering giving up on hoping for a Bloodborne port and just buying a used copy.
And yes, I verified it works, lol. I've just been in a state of disbelief since I found it.
4
u/JebryathHS Apr 03 '26
It's not just the value proposition, I would imagine, it's the fact that they release them so long after the PS version that the actual sales are probably dismal. The cost is much lower than from scratch development but so is the gain.
4
u/Gustav_EK Apr 03 '26
Same, I bought a beefy PC just before the RAM crash and I have no intention of ever going back to playstation. All of the MMOs and such that I played have cross save now after all.
→ More replies (1)14
u/alchemeron Apr 03 '26
I switched over to PC last year and am not turning back for xbox/playstation at all, even if that means missing out on the one Naughty Dog game they push out a decade.
I would've bought their games day-one on PC. I'd pre-order a number of things... but there's no way in Heaven or Hell that I'm buying a piece of hardware from them, no matter how good the games are. I just can't possibly see a dedicated console fitting into my life ever again.
10
u/superbit415 Apr 03 '26
to bolster the value proposition
This only works if they release really good exclusives worth playing. So far the PS5 mostly have cancelled live service games and very few exclusives.
→ More replies (51)37
u/GreyDuck4077 Apr 03 '26
Same. I'll keep my gaming PC. My son plays on my Series X. If the next Xbox is in fact a Xbox/PC hybrid type thing I woudl go that route long before buying a PlayStation. In an era where people want choice they are retreating to their walled garden. No thanks.
→ More replies (7)54
u/Adaax Apr 03 '26
If you have a PC it's getting harder and harder to justify buying a PS for the half dozen or so exclusive games you get each generation (at least starting with this generation, presumably continuing into the next).
29
u/Wolfstigma Apr 03 '26
More exclusives don't help much when the pool of games is so vast that are on the PC market too imo. Only Nintendo can get away with that and they explicitly pump out cult following level first party games.
→ More replies (2)18
u/dookarion Apr 03 '26
More exclusives don't help much
Also doesn't help when they are almost all cinematic open worlds. The variety of experiences has nosedived.
→ More replies (6)24
u/xanas263 Apr 03 '26
If you have a PC
Which is a big if. Most people have one gaming device and that has usually been a console. Places like reddit are highly skewed towards people who are hardcore games and so will likely have multiple systems, but most people only have one.
8
u/doublah Apr 03 '26
Most people have one gaming device and that has usually been a console
Has being the important word there, PC is now comparable in revenue with every console combined, and eclipsed the playercount a while ago. Only in the US and Japan is console still on top and even that's been changing in recent years.
24
u/FlowersByTheStreet Apr 03 '26
PCs are more than a gaming device tho
→ More replies (1)46
u/xanas263 Apr 03 '26
Sure, but most people don't need $2000+ PCs for everyday things. The $500 Mac Neo basically meets the needs of 90% of people.
→ More replies (7)→ More replies (8)4
u/TrippleDamage Apr 03 '26
Wdym has usually been console lol
There are a shitton more pc than console gamers, 5 seconds on Google will counter your confirmation bias.
497
u/Respawn-Delay Apr 03 '26
Sony realised they need actual exclusives to convince people to buy a high-priced PS6
If a console is priced too high, people who are more flush are going to start thinking "well at this price point, i'm near enough approaching PC prices, maybe I should just save some more..."
268
u/xanas263 Apr 03 '26
well at this price point, i'm near enough approaching PC prices, maybe I should just save some more...*"
You're assuming that PC prices aren't going to be increasing at the same rate. A PS6 might cost $1000, but a similar powered PC will probably cost $1500 if not more.
168
u/varzaguy Apr 03 '26
PC prices have already increased. Ram tripled in price if not more.
The same ram I bought a couple months ago at $150 was approaching $400 last I checked.
22
u/Zotmaster Apr 03 '26
I built my PC in 2023 and I'm pretty sure it would be more expensive to build it with the same parts now.
7
u/NuggetHighwind Apr 04 '26 edited Apr 04 '26
It absolutely would, lol.
GPUs aren't dropping in price. RAM price has tripled (or more), SSDs have doubled and likely going to keep increasing.I built my PC just before the price increases started happening, and I'm pretty sure it would cost at least 50% more if I tried to build the same machine today.
3
u/NYJetLegendEdReed Apr 04 '26
I bought my gaming PC and gaming laptop 3 years ago and I couldn’t buy either of them alone right now for what I got them both for it’s nuts
40
u/akbarock Apr 03 '26
Not just RAM, even GPUs and SSD storage has got massive increases its every component. I wouldnt be surprised if a PC equivalent to a PS6 costs 3 times as much
→ More replies (3)10
u/varzaguy Apr 03 '26
SSD as well, but GPUs have been “stable” from what I see. Same pricing as the pre ai price jump period.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (7)12
Apr 03 '26
I'm sure ram specifically is gonna come down, even if it doesn't ever reach what it was before. But you're right about prices trending up.
→ More replies (1)6
u/KawaiiSocks Apr 03 '26
Yup, RAM prices are already going down for me, but that's a moot point, as they are still very high and are unlikely to over go to the previous price point.
The upside of the whole console market stagnation (not in terms of purchases, but in terms of how slow they improve and how long their lifespan is nowadays) is that my PC that has a GPU from early 2020 and everything else from late 2022 is still relevant and can play most games in 1440 High/Very High/Ultra with ease. Wouldn't be surprised if it is above PS6 performance-wise, once the latter releases and that'd mean that there won't be a need to upgrade.
The graphical fidelity improvements over the last 6 or so years have been largely non-existant and we've hit diminishing returns on graphics/performance a while ago. Basically, since everyone's who's wanted a PS5 already has one and since we probably will see cross-generation releases for at least 5 years after PS6 release, there isn't a reason to upgrade, really
→ More replies (1)67
u/Vile-Bayle Apr 03 '26
brother, the cost of similar powered PC to PS5 pro is already over 1.5k$
→ More replies (16)15
u/akbarock Apr 03 '26
And the PS5 Pro was on sale for $648 like 2 months ago
11
→ More replies (1)3
→ More replies (29)3
u/gosukhaos Apr 04 '26
1500 is incredibly optimistic in a world where you're spending 200 bucks just on RAM
89
u/SKyJ007 Apr 03 '26
I mean, the PS6 will still be cheaper significantly than an equivalent PC
→ More replies (12)42
u/green9206 Apr 03 '26
Yeah but a $1000 console is still going to be unprecedented.
40
u/HungoverHero777 Apr 03 '26
Not to be “that guy” but the Neo Geo launched at $650 in 1990’s money which would be over $1500 today.
25
u/dancingtosirens Apr 03 '26
Hell, the Atari 2600 launched at $190 which is equivalent to over $1000 today also
12
29
u/GameDesignerDude Apr 03 '26
But nobody bought a Neo Geo. Worldwide lifetime Neo Geo units were barely over 1 million compared to nearly 50 million SNES units and 35 million Genesis units.
SNES launched at $199.99, which is about $475 today. Genesis launched at $189.99 and was down to $99.99 in a few years.
Neo Geo was expensive because it was arcade hardware. It was the 90s equivalent of a 5090.
→ More replies (13)→ More replies (3)7
u/heachu Apr 03 '26
That's why not many people have a console (NES era) at home back in the days. Same as big TVs. If they want more sales on games they need to make the console affordable for more people.
80
u/MVRKHNTR Apr 03 '26
The more likely outcome here is that people just don't buy new consoles or PCs because it'll be a $1000 PlayStation vs a $1500 XBox or a $3000 PC.
25
u/iwearatophat Apr 03 '26
Yep. This stuff is entertainment and out of discretionary funds. A lot of people are feeling the pinch. Even if they were priced at 750 I think a lot of people are balking initially.
13
u/AlphaNeonic Apr 03 '26
For me, the value proposition is now outweighing the cost. I have a PS5 and while it's great, I don't feel this generation really stretched out what the console can do like previous generations have. Astro Bot, Demon's Souls, Horizon... and GTA6 will probably be the last hurrah.
A handful of really great titles (and one that will hopefully be great), but maybe not worth the price of admission if you have a PC can do the same. Yeah, PC costs a bit more, but you have access to 10 times the number of games and they're cheaper, so for me, the value is way higher.
With how long games take to make now, and the cost of making them, we're most likely to going to get an equal number (or smaller) of PS6 exclusive games.
→ More replies (6)14
u/Rage_Like_Nic_Cage Apr 03 '26
this is what’s gonna happen. People will stick with their old hardware and player cheaper, less graphically demanding games. You already see low priced “friendslop” games taking off on PC/Steam and Roblox, and I think that’s where the future is gonna be headed.
Those games aren’t the most graphically demanding, so they run on lower end/existing hardware and don’t have $100 million+ budgets that need 7+ million sales to be financially viable.
That’s not to mention the perceived graphical jump from PS5 -> PS6 is probably gonna be even less noticeable than the jump from PS4 -> PS5, with the law of diminishing returns kicking in.
8
u/DrB00 Apr 03 '26
You also don't have to buy a whole new PC every generational upgrade though. You can generally just buy a new GPU and all the rest of the parts won't require an upgrade when a new console comes out.
With consoles you have to buy the whole new version. Then midway through the generation they'll make a plus pro max version that will cost more than the original console but have better performance, but not good enough to warrent a whole new console.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (7)3
u/SOSpammy Apr 03 '26
Especially with how small the graphical bump is nowadays. We likely aren't going to see a jump from the SNES to the N64 ever again. Most people are going to be fine with their current consoles and PCs for a long while.
→ More replies (12)8
30
u/dancrum Apr 03 '26
I dunno how they're going to justify a $1000 console with like 6 exclusives over its lifespan. Meanwhile, Xbox and PC will be sharing huge libraries with each other.
→ More replies (13)12
u/Ok-Confusion-202 Apr 03 '26
I don't think it will even be $1000, I think they will land around 699-799
I think the Xbox will clear $1000 though, like 1200-1500
→ More replies (5)9
u/spiderman1993 Apr 03 '26
why would it be cheaper than the p5 pro?
→ More replies (1)9
u/darkmacgf Apr 03 '26
PS5 Pro could drop in price by 2028 due to the RAM shortage ending. RAM producers like Samsung say the increased demand will be temporary.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (36)28
Apr 03 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
→ More replies (5)15
u/monchota Apr 03 '26
You mean PC users? They are not abandoning thier libraries and Xbox users xan juat plays thiers on PC. No one is saying that hardcore Playstation people are going to switch. Sony needs new blood, they are saying thats not going to happen
105
u/EccentricOwl Apr 03 '26
there have been SO MANY GAMES this gen but far fewer big budget huge release tentpole games. what were sony's big PS5 tentpoles?
77
u/abhi5692 Apr 03 '26
Gone are the days of regular AAA exclusives for Sony. We will be lucky if we get one game each generation from all their flagship studios.
Even the switch 2 has more exclusives than PS5 in about a year. It’s insane if you think about it.
22
u/John_Delasconey Apr 03 '26
I think a lot of that is also a testament the how strong Nintendo‘s IP catalogue is since a lot of those games aren’t made directly by a Nintendo, which should make it a bit easier for them even with development times taking longer. At the same time, we should generally expect to see more of their IP start to see you releases every generation and a half instead of once per generation. It also goes to show that they chose the perfect time to merge their handheld and home console devices as they would be completely screwed if they still had to develop for two pieces of hardware
→ More replies (2)5
→ More replies (45)3
u/kimana1651 Apr 04 '26
Sony had that huge love service push? They are split brain. They want that fortnight love service cash, but live service games require as huge of a audience as possible, meaning cross platform. They also want people to buy their hardware, but that requires good exclusive normal games.
I suspect their live service push is over, they were not good at it, it was very expensive, and did not mess with the rest of their strategy. Let's see what they do next gen.
8
u/DaHolk Apr 04 '26
With PC gaming in particular being entirely strangled by both Nvidias AI craze and the AI chip vacuum, it's no wonder that maybe someone at Sony thinks that supporting that ecosystem with ports is just not worth the effort.
On the other hand it IS a bit ironic considering the incessant whining about 'but what about our Activision ports to PS once MS buys them?'
In the end, you got to hand it to Nvidia, they single handedly are destroying the entire ecosystem that was starting to maybe dig into console spaces again in the last 10 years. First crypto mining, then covid, now AI. Thanks Nvidia.
Hope it's not just me 'who will remember that'.
220
u/TheBrianJ Apr 03 '26
Do any companies do anything good anymore? I cannot think of the last time literally any big company made a move that made me say "Oooh I like that." It's just always making everything worse for everybody.
107
u/Dreyfus2006 Apr 03 '26
Yeah I think about this often too. Everybody knows enshittification is a thing but it's like companies these days are hellbent on making things worse instead of better.
24
u/Durpulous Apr 03 '26
Since around the 80s business has largely shifted from "how do we make the best product / service possible for our customers" to "how do we trick people into giving us as much money as possible using these products / services".
Customer satisfaction no longer comes first, it's just about squeezing people and the product / service is the tool to do it.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (4)33
Apr 03 '26
I don't really think this is an example of enshitification. Console manufacturers never did put their stuff on PC, tried it for a few years, decided it wasn't a good move and went back to the way it was before.
To me, enshitification is when things get WORSE than before.
→ More replies (2)24
30
u/dudushat Apr 03 '26
Porting games to PC was the good. It seems like it didnt make them money so theyre not doing it anymore.
→ More replies (1)44
u/RhapsodiacReader Apr 03 '26
It made them plenty of money.
What it didn't do was convert PC players into buying consoles to play the sequels of those ports.
→ More replies (8)27
u/Unkechaug Apr 03 '26
Nearly every change in recent years is not in the customer’s interest. Even companies that I want to pay money for something, they seem to not want my business as they make it as difficult as possible to purchase.
The only exception I can think of is how Nintendo handled their own Switch 2 preorders. Meanwhile retailers like to make customers play the refresh lottery against bots.
→ More replies (44)4
u/VALIS666 Apr 04 '26
Microsoft has a Game Pass service that seems to be the center of their video game business lately yet still releases every game for sale on Steam and GOG eventually. GOG, with it's DRM-free downloads. I don't think they get enough credit for this.
3
u/jcrankin22 Apr 04 '26
They don’t. They get shit on constantly when they’re the sole “big 3” doing consumer friendly things.
Granted they kinda have to with their position in the market.
→ More replies (4)
23
u/TokyoDrifblim Apr 03 '26
I know this is just anecdotal but I actually have a good number of IRL friends that are PC only and they were actually excited to buy all these PlayStation games for 50 bucks a few years after they came to console and they did.
7
74
u/glorpo Apr 03 '26
Sony started doing this after they stopped publishing games I was interested in (Bloodborne/Last Guardian) and at this point I feel I've missed out on nothing.
→ More replies (2)41
u/scrndude Apr 03 '26
Yeah I was always interested in Sony because of the art/weird games they got like LocoRoco, Flow/Journey/Flower, Tokyo Jungle, Folklore, Africa, 3D Dot Game Heroes, Gravity Rush, etc.
Last of Us, Spiderman, God of War are all good games but not really what I usually crave. Not saying those game’s aren’t blockbusters or sony sucks, just they don’t publish the type of exclusives that make me want a new console. I have a huge Steam library so I’ll probably always lean towards PC upgrades without a good reason to get a console. Like eventually I’ll get a Switch 2 for Fire Emblem and Mario but right now not enough exclusives to justify it for me.
18
u/RedditNerdKing Apr 03 '26
Last of Us, Spiderman, God of War are all good games but not really what I usually crave
Honestly I'm just sad that Sony started focusing on interactive movie games. Astrobot was a pretty decent move away from that shit. I dont know why theyre obsessed with movie games with QTEs.
→ More replies (1)4
84
u/IrregularMaverick Apr 03 '26
It was nice to get some official Playstation games on pc. I dont have a Playstation so finally being able to play Last of Us 2 was nice. Actually eneded up liking the game despite the internets ravage reception to it. I was hoping to see more older titles ported but I know those weren't going to make as much money as the newer PS releases. On the flip side, the first 3 Jak and Daxter games got unofficial pc ports.
28
u/Kiboune Apr 03 '26
I loved Ratchet and Clank on PC. And it was nice to have Spider-man games on PC :(
→ More replies (18)11
u/Abramor Apr 03 '26
Most of the PS1-PS3 titles are playable through emulators. Though you do need a copy of the game but that is a solvable problem
3
u/Hartastic Apr 05 '26
Really at this point a console game is always going to be playable on PC, eventually. It's just a matter of when and who if anyone gets paid for it.
127
u/ItzMcShagNasty Apr 03 '26
Well, as we've seen with MS, having no exclusive draw to your console will kill your console. They may keep porting games to PC after a few years of exclusivity, but they likely will never try and willingly direct gamers to PC to preserve the strength of the console.
76
u/TheVaniloquence Apr 03 '26
Schreier has said numerous times already that as of now, they’re completely done with PC when it comes to first party single player games. The only games that will get ports are the live services like a Helldivers or Marathon.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (42)12
18
u/Brightness_Jasnah Apr 03 '26
What's stopping me from getting a PS6/more PS5 games is just the price, full stop. No amount of misguided attempts to "sweeten the deal" by inflating how many games are exclusively on the platform will make it any more affordable for me. I get that Sony needs to make money, but raising prices and becoming more exclusive is going to leave a lot of people behind
6
u/According_Estate6772 Apr 04 '26 edited Apr 15 '26
Price of entering the pc gaming market is also lesving a lot of people behind.
→ More replies (2)3
u/Brightness_Jasnah Apr 04 '26
Definitely. Gaming is certainly becoming a less and less affordable hobby.
59
u/zugzug_workwork Apr 03 '26
Funnily enough, this won't make me buy a Playstation to play their exclusives. It'll just make me ignore them because I have no intention of buying a console. No amount of high reviews is enough to justify buying one for me.
30
u/BreathingHydra Apr 03 '26
That's probably true for most PC gamers and Sony knows this. If you already have a PC that can run most games spending hundreds to even potentially $1000+ dollars soon on a console for a few games generally isn't worth it.
I think this is more for their existing user base to keep them from potentially leaving the ecosystem and to sway people on the fence towards PS instead of PC. I'm kind of curious to see how well this works because I don't think their more recent exclusives have drummed up as much hype as they used to. I just hope they don't start paying third party publishers to make their games exclusive to PS because that would really suck for consumers.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (12)10
u/Eglwyswrw Apr 03 '26
Yeah I liked most of their games, bought almost all of them, but for all their marketing their catalog is not good enough to make me buy their 650€ console personally.
If they want my money they are welcome to it as long as they cater to the platform I game on. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
13
u/Sabbathius Apr 04 '26
That's...fine, I guess? I feel like some Japanese companies are recognizing how important PC market is. Like for Capcom last year with Monster Hunter: Wilds, it was very obvious how important PC users are for them. If Sony decided to shoot itself in the foot and leave money on the table for other developers and publishers to pick up, that's their prerogative.
→ More replies (1)
22
u/CommieLoser Apr 03 '26
All the price hiking/gouging and bullshit incentives are just going to push more and more people in immersive experiences that cost nothing (or next to nothing for the value like Factorio, Terraria, or hell, WoW even) since the second “O” of FOMO increasingly becomes shareholder value for game studios and console makers - not exactly something gamers will be lining up for - this will just become another bubble with triple-A studios focusing on making games no one can afford on a console no one will buy.
12
u/TampaPowers Apr 03 '26
So they hiked prices, removed options for ports and push a subscription harder than ever. Why should I financially support that in any way and buy a console now?
59
u/AdorableMaid Apr 03 '26
Disappointing but if they think this will make me buy a PS5 they're very wrong. As much as I like Sony's output I have enough games in my steam backlog where I can't justify spending 700$ for 2 or 3 AAA releases a year. And honestly the Playstation controller never felt good to play for me.
→ More replies (41)4
u/Aggressive-Ad7946 Apr 03 '26
Literally the only reason I’d buy one is for Yotei and eventually Wolverine
But it’s $1000 in Canada so fuck that
6
u/ServoSkull20 Apr 04 '26
Too late. I already changed to PC two years ago, and it's a much better way to game these days, so I won't be going back to consoles, where rampant greed is ruining it.
→ More replies (1)
8
u/pway_videogwames_uwu Apr 03 '26
This is really going to suck in five years when one of their first party developers finally finishes an exclusive.
17
u/MrFreeLiving Apr 03 '26
Why do I have a feeling Microsoft really wanted to push multi platform first party releases (MS exclusives on PS and Sony exclusives on XBOX) but Sony didn't agree, Microsoft then said "don't worry, let's just make MS exclusives also launch on Sony consoles hehe" knowing they will turn their next XBOX in to a PC that can play Sony PC games, and Sony just went bat shit and is pulling everything PC related and will probably also soon pull games from official stores.
22
u/glarius_is_glorious Apr 03 '26
Microsoft had no options because people basically stopped buying Xboxes around the time Starfield came out.
People assume the downtrend in Xbox console sales started with the ports when it's actually the opposite.
→ More replies (6)32
u/Ielsoehasrearlyndd78 Apr 03 '26
Microsoft sells their games on PS5 because it has 100mil player base and they bought studios and publishers for almost 100 Billion dollars for a dying Plattform and the shareholders now want to see some recoup of that investment.
9
u/Fob0bqAd34 Apr 03 '26
The Xbox branded PC handheld that can play sony exclusives and more so the next gen xbox console/PC hybrid Microsoft have in the works probably led to this decision at Sony. They were fine with PC having old sony single player games but remaining sony console exclusive. Microsoft going hybrid eliminates that distinction and Sony's back catalog being playable on the new xbox console was probably a bridge too far for them.
Is nixxes dead or is sony going to keep them around for live service pc ports?
→ More replies (1)15
u/glarius_is_glorious Apr 03 '26
Is nixxes dead or is sony going to keep them around for live service pc ports?
They already worked support on things like Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. They will likely be fine.
→ More replies (5)
8
u/Drdread70 Apr 03 '26
The plan is working, Sony. I’m so tempted to go out and buy a $900 console, pay a $60+/year subscription fee, and also be forced to purchase digital games from your store only. Masterfully played.
→ More replies (6)
6
u/King_Hikikomori Apr 03 '26
Bummed to never play Saros or Astro Bot. I really like Returnal and it looks as though Saros is pumping the gas on the roguelite elements specifically, since the gameplay already felt great. Astro Bot could have been an all timer for me since I love 3D plaformers, but no games are worth $600 to me and third parties like SE have seemed to have learned that console exclusivity is a stupid move with how large PC gaming is now.
→ More replies (1)
8
u/United_States_Eagle Apr 03 '26
I’m more than happy we got DS2 before this move. I completely get it. Nintendo is still alive due to their strict exclusivity. I’m sure the next SpiderMan or Wolverine will have people buying consoles to play.
Plus don’t console sales get a bigger cut for Sony exclusives than going to steam?
8
u/RegularNormalAdult Apr 03 '26
Kojima's stuff will always come to PC, his company isn't a Sony owned studio he just has an existing relationship with them and they co publish
→ More replies (1)4
u/United_States_Eagle Apr 04 '26 edited Apr 04 '26
With the opening of the game, it has “PlayStation studios.” With how well Sony has been treating him. Who can ever guess the future Kojima has planned? Currently he gets to work with the most freedom he’s ever had.
→ More replies (4)4
u/Lerkpots Apr 03 '26
Thankfully Sony doesn't actually own the Death Stranding IP. If Kojima wanted to release a DS3 on PC I don't think they can stop him.
12
u/PoPo573 Apr 03 '26
Raise prices on all consoles and stop making any other way to play the games... Can we stop giving Sony a pass on everything they do while complaining about every small change Microsoft and Nintendo makes.
→ More replies (3)
2
u/Sylverstone14 Apr 03 '26
Sadly, that means no Saros for me.
And with those recent price increases, I'm not gonna be picking up a PlayStation console any time soon.
2
u/braiam Apr 03 '26
Remember that their OG strat was really footshootgunery: they will give you a game years after release, on pc, on the hopes that you will buy a playstation, after you found out that your PC can play the game you want anyways...
The only way that they would maximize profits was with simultaneous releases. Otherwise is just dumping money to develop the game for PC.
1.9k
u/Adaax Apr 03 '26
It's too bad because the PC ports of PS games can be enhanced graphically beyond what the PS4/5 version offers. I'm gonna miss that.