PlayStation Boss Comments on PC Ports of PS4 Games After Some Backlash

PlayStation's been adamant about remaining open to releasing its games on the PC platform, and based on the recent PC release of Days Gone, it looks like that trend's not going away anytime soon. Some have not been pleased with the idea of exclusives becoming not-so-exclusive, however, and have expressed a desire to have Sony keep the focus on PlayStation and PlayStation alone. PlayStation boss Hermen Hulst commented on the topic of PC releases recently and offered some appeasing statements for both sides that indicated the PC releases would continue but that PlayStation consoles would still be the best places to play the games PlayStation Studios create.

In his comments shared in a PlayStation Blog post, Hulst looked back on the PC release of Horizon Zero Dawn. The launch was a "very successful" one, he said, so successful in fact that our review of the game found that the PC version of the game was superior to the PlayStation 4 release. Still, the reception to the PC game showed Sony what people had been saying for years: That they want PlayStation games on PC, too.

"We're still early on in our planning for PC," Hulst said. "And Horizon Zero Dawn has been very successful. I think it shows there's an appetite from gamers outside the PlayStation ecosystem to experience the amazing portfolio of games that PlayStation fans have enjoyed for years."

Hulst's wording was worth taking note of when he talked about the consoles being the best place to play new PlayStation games though. He said, "PlayStation will remain the best place to play our PlayStation Studios titles at launch," which leaves room for a PC version to be superior, but not right at a new game's launch. A PlayStation game might end up playing better on a PC – and in many instances, it likely will – but any non-PlayStation platform advantage sounds like it'll be accompanied by a wait of a year or two before a PlayStation Studios game's exclusivity ends.

Closing out his PC comments with another reference to Days Gone, Hulst said PC releases will never come at the expense of games on PlayStation consoles.

"And I hope that a new set of fans can and will enjoy that title," Hulst said. "And that's the goal — we want to reach new gamers who haven't yet experienced the great stories, characters, and worlds that we've built. Releasing games on PC will not come ever at the expense of building an exciting lineup of great console games."