Analysts say late PC ports are the real reason PlayStation titles underperform on the platform

Following a Bloomberg report that Sony plans to stop releasing first-party PS5 games on PC, analytics firm Newzoo put together a breakdown of the situation. According to their findings, the issue lies not in a lack of audience interest in specific franchises, but in the release strategy itself.

Newzoo identified a clear pattern: Sony games that arrive on PC well after their PS5 launch consistently pull a smaller share of players on the platform compared to titles that release simultaneously across multiple platforms. The trend isn't specific to Sony – it holds across publishers generally.

"Newzoo's data shows that PlayStation titles ported to PC after their console launch typically see PC account for around 13% of total players in the first three months across both releases," says Manu Rosier, Director of Market Intelligence at Newzoo. "By comparison, when comparable AAA titles launch simultaneously on PC and console, PC contributes closer to 44% of players in the same period."

Rosier also pointed out that the gap between first-party and third-party PlayStation exclusives on PC is negligible – 12% versus 13% respectively. That directly suggests the issue isn't franchise appeal among PC players, but the timing gap between releases.

"What's notable is that this pattern is not specific to Sony's first-party portfolio. We see almost no difference between first-party PlayStation titles (12% PC share) and third-party PlayStation exclusives (13%), suggesting the outcome is primarily driven by the staggered release strategy rather than franchise demand on PC."

The data also shows a downward trend: earlier Sony ports performed considerably better than recent ones. Horizon Zero Dawn reached a 22% PC share with around 4 million lifetime players, God of War (2018) hit 14% with roughly 3.5 million, and Marvel's Spider-Man came in at 14% with about 3.8 million. More recent ports tell a different story – Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart managed just 8%, Horizon Forbidden West 7%, God of War Ragnarök 6%, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 only 5%.

Ghost of Tsushima stands out as an exception at 11% PC share and around 2.1 million players, which analysts attribute to it being the franchise's first appearance on the platform. Another exception in Sony's own strategy was Helldivers 2, which launched simultaneously on PS5 and PC in 2024 and became a major commercial hit.

"The key takeaway is that release timing has a significant impact on PC engagement. When a PC version arrives years after the console launch, much of the early lifecycle demand has already been captured on the primary platform."