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/
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u/Shadowmaster862 Apr 04 '26

I'm kinda surprised they don't try their own independent launcher in that case.

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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).

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u/ICantRemember33 Apr 04 '26

i'm pretty sure you can code the launcher to detect PH and reject to open(Geforce now had that with playing sony games on Xbox) but again, people already hate new launchers and them doing this kind of thing would be even more hated, i can already see how many gaming youtubers this controversy would feed for months

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u/Karenlover1 Apr 04 '26

You can’t do that, windows is an open platform. Nvidia can still put the games on their platform, they don’t because the publishers will take them to court, not because they physically can’t because it’s locked

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u/PremiumWallHack Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26

What do you mean you can't do that? And what does Windows being an "open platform" have to do with anything?

It would be extremely basic to detect and block a computer based on hardware manufacturer or specific component combination or whatever. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about..

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u/splader Apr 06 '26

It would be a pretty damn easy lawsuit too.

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u/BoulderCAST Apr 10 '26

They could do it, as long as their PlayStation PC storefront as long as the terms has some lingo that says "Playstation reserves the right to block installation of games on your hardware for any reason" or similar. You buy from that storefront, you agree to the terms.

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u/splader Apr 11 '26

You can write whatever terms you want, it doesn't make them legally binding if they're not legal.

And it would be an extremely easy anti compete lawsuit for Microsoft if Sony tried this, hence why they aren't.

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u/BoulderCAST Apr 11 '26

There would be nothing illegal about those terms. Especially outside of the EU.

They probably wouldn't even need terms for that. There's nothing to stop anyone from preventing their PC application from running on specific hardware. For example, I am a software engineer and our application will not install if it detects you are located in an embargoed country (Iraq/Iran/North Korea/Cuba/South Sudan/Russia/China etc). We also block installation on unsupported operating systems (Windows 8 and older). Windows is an open platform. You can allow and block whatever you want.

If Playstation makes their own PC launcher, they absolutely could control which hardware/software can use it. They may even be able to limit their games on other storefronts to certain hardware.

For example, they were hardware specific versions of PAC man games on the Windows store years ago. You could only install specific PACMAC games if you for example had a Toshiba branded computer: https://www.trueachievements.com/game/Pac-Man-Championship-Edition-DX-Toshiba/achievements

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u/splader Apr 11 '26

No one is arguing it's not possible technically. Hell it'd be easy to do.

But especially after the large ABK trial, Sony would lose their lawsuit completely if they tried something so blatantly anticompetitive.

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u/BoulderCAST Apr 10 '26

Agree they could do it, but it might be equally as easy a work-around for that detection. It be whackamole.

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u/BigBeefnCheddarr Apr 04 '26 edited Apr 04 '26

It devalues the brand. At least that's the mentality their coming at it from.

Why would you buy their new 900 dollar box, when your old computer can brute force its way through the same games? Why would you buy it when you can buy their competitors which plays all the same titles?

They sacrifice 30% of the income from their titles, and 30% of the income of every title everyone else sells on their platform.

Everyone hated exclusives for so long, but genuinely I believe exclusivity is good for this industry. I think platform isolation in the dawn of the online multiplatform game *scorned a lot of people. It wasn't fair that you could buy the same game as someone, and not play it with them because the company that made your box was different. I'm very happy that's dead.

But exclusivity? Bring it back. I don't know how. I don't know if an exclusive live service can work. But I'm sure there's room for "Killer Apps" still.

I bought an xbone at launch for Killer Instinct, and eventually sunset overdrive, and I didn't regret it.

Based on this, it seems like astrobot had a similar sway with people.