Pastures new
One sentiment I’ve seen grow exponentially over the past few years is the number of players saying they’re going to leave PlayStation for PC.
That comment, already a popular point of view, has increased tenfold over the past week, since Sony’s announced its intent to stop manufacturing physical games.
I must admit, I don’t fully understand the connection here: PCs have been all-digital for a long time, so it’s not like anyone’s going to be buying Blu-rays there.
Generally it’s accepted that the PC ecosystem gives you more ownership over your games, and there’s obviously competition within the space, as it’s an open platform with a variety of competing storefronts. (Although ask Epic Games how that’s going for them.)
Broadly, I think this sentiment boils down to the fact that consoles just don’t have the advantage over PCs they used to have.
Hardware prices have risen exponentially on the back of the memory crisis, and while this impacts PC pricing as well, a PS6 is still predicted to cost you the best part of $1,000. Why not pay a little extra for a PC at that point?
Furthermore, consoles aren’t the pick-up-and-play solutions they used to be. While you don’t need to faff around with drivers and operating systems, you still need to download patches and install firmware updates.
But pertinently I think there’s a point of view that you can get everything on PC.
Sony has obviously changed its stance on single player games in the past few months, but as of today you can still buy major first-party games like God of War Ragnarok and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on Steam.
That’s in addition to Xbox’s entire catalogue, and all those Steam oddities that take ages to hit consoles, like the recent breakout hit Meccha Chameleon.
Even if Sony does plot a return to true exclusivity, some are taking the view that they’re not missing out on much.
Naughty Dog hasn’t released a new game all PS5 generation, and once Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is out, we probably won’t hear from the Californian studio again until 2032 or later.
Is one or two exclusive titles a year worth sticking with PlayStation for?
I think all of this is aggregating at an unfortunate time for Sony, and it’s going to make the PS6 a difficult sell, if it wasn’t already.
But I’m curious where you’re at with all this. The Internet is loud, and it can sometimes skew perspectives. Are you also considering leaving PlayStation for PC and pastures new? Have you already made the transition? Let us know below.
