Sony has decided to end the arrival of its major single-player PlayStation games on the PC platform. The strategic shift was communicated by Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios, during an internal meeting with employees.
According to Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, this decision marks a strong pivot back to consoles. Major tentpole single-player releases will now remain PlayStation exclusives, meaning PC players will need a console to enjoy them.
In recent years, Sony had expanded several of its most important titles to PC, such as Spider-Man 2, Ghost of Tsushima, the two installments of The Last of Us, and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. However, that trend is stopping for the upcoming major internal developments focused on single-player stories.
The report indicates that even previous plans to bring Ghost of Yōtei and other internal games to PC have been canceled. This change in approach had already been anticipated by Schreier in March.
A return to console roots
Online and multiplayer games, on the other hand, will continue to be released on multiple platforms. This distinction maintains Hulst's previous commitment to live service titles, which will launch “day and date” on PC and PS5.
The measure represents a return to a more traditional Sony strategy, where console exclusives were a central pillar. For a time, the company had opted to expand the reach of its productions to include PC, but is now taking a more strategic and selective approach with single-player titles.
This PlayStation move comes in a context where other companies are also reviewing their policies. Asha Sharma, the new head of Xbox at Microsoft, mentioned that she is reevaluating the issue of exclusives for that platform.
PlayStation fans might see this decision as a bet to strengthen the value of owning a PS5 console, especially for the most anticipated releases. Meanwhile, PC users will continue to access multiplayer titles and ports that have already been announced or released previously.
The gaming industry is closely watching how these changes will affect sales and the perception of exclusives in an increasingly multi-platform market. Sony seems to be betting that players will value the unique console experience for their most ambitious single-player productions.
