“Shuhei Yoshida: Unlocking the Lucrative Potential of PlayStation Games on PC”
Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida has acknowledged that adapting PlayStation-exclusive titles for PC is “almost like generating money,” allowing for further investment into additional games.
During a discussion with Sacred Symbols+ (via Push Sq.), Yoshida expressed his desire to bring first-party games to PC sooner, although this was not Sony’s strategy at that time.
“Launching on PC offers various advantages: it connects with a new audience who do not possess consoles – particularly in markets where consoles are less favored,” he stated. “The expectation is that these individuals could become enthusiasts of a particular franchise, and when a new installment in that series is released, they may be persuaded to purchase a PlayStation.”
In addition to these advantages, it also allows Sony to reinvest earnings into further projects.
“It generates additional revenue, since porting to PC is significantly cheaper than developing an original title,” he pointed out. “Thus, it’s almost like generating money. This enables us to fund new titles in light of the rising costs of game production.”
Furthermore, releasing games on PC permits PlayStation to expand into new territories where that platform is more popular – particularly China.
“China represents a large market for PC gaming,” explained Yoshida. “And China has a burgeoning but quite limited console market. To engage with audiences in countries like China, it is essential to release on PC. Hence, I believe that PC versions genuinely connect with a new audience.”
Starting with Horizon Zero Dawn in 2020, Sony has gradually transitioned its PlayStation-exclusive games to PC.
Most recently, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 made its debut on PC, while The Last of Us Part II Remastered is slated for release in April.
And while these launches have seen diminishing return on Steam in terms of player count, the introduction of Helldivers 2 proved to be a significant triumph for Sony – it became PlayStation’s fastest-selling game largely due to its success on PC. However, that success was somewhat limited by Sony’s requirement for PSN to play.
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