If recent rumors are to be believed, Sony Santa Monica’s God of War will be heading to PC soon. That’s according to leaks from an Nvidia datamine, where a Steam version of God of War appears in one of the screenshots. Of course, this could be faked, but given PlayStation’s current trajectory with console exclusives, there’s a chance it’s true. Let’s dig into Sony’s recent switch in attitude towards PlayStation console exclusivity.
God of War and PlayStation’s Console Exclusivity
Arkane Lyon’s Deathloop releases this week, as one of the PlayStation 5’s biggest exclusives of the year. It’s technically only a timed console exclusive, coming to Xbox in 2022. However, the fact that it’s also launching on PC at the same time as PS5, is interesting.
Years ago, PlayStation exclusive games were exactly that: titles that you could only play on PlayStation hardware. Games like The Last of Us, LittleBigPlanet, and Uncharted all released solely on the PlayStation 3. To this day, they don’t have PC ports. Well – for now, at least. That’s because last week’s PlayStation Showcase confirmed that Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End will release on PC next year as part of a graphically boosted next-gen upgrade. That’s alongside other former exclusives like Detroit: Become Human, Death Stranding, and Days Gone, all of which are available on PC now.
It all points to a new strategy for Sony where PS exclusives are technically only console exclusives. Especially if the God of War news is to be believed, it signals a shift where PlayStation is increasingly willing to share titles with PC.
In some ways, it works to benefit players. It’s no secret that PS5 consoles are incredibly hard to come by. This move helps get these games into the hands of more players. On the other hand, it reduces the allure of the beloved console exclusive. It simply doesn’t mean as much anymore, as it’ll likely end up on PC a few years down the line regardless.
It’s clearly a strategy that’s employed selectively, as recent exclusives like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart are still firmly at home on PlayStation. However, it does indicate a move away from hardware wars, where PC players can finally access console exclusives. Just don’t expect to see Halo Infinite on PS5 next.
