Former PlayStation Exec Wonders How Sony Will Maintain Investment in First-Party Games Without Releasing Them on PC

Former PlayStation exec Shuhei Yoshida has suggested that Sony will struggle to recoup the huge budgets invested in its first-party games without porting them to PC.

Yoshida — who previously led Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios — spoke at ALT. Games earlier this month, reflecting on Sony’s reported recent decision to pull back from PC releases when games have never cost more to make.

“In PS4 days still we are making AAA games with big budget,” Yoshida said (thanks, Respawn First). “I somehow felt the bigger the budget, the safer in some strange way. Creating bigger, better-looking games that people are asking for. In the past it kind of worked, you know, business wise. But in the last five or so years, publishers and developers must have realized that model may not be sustainable.

“Releasing games on PC after a couple of years must have helped recoup the investment of these big budget games and help[ed] the team and company to reinvest that money into their new games,” he added, “So, from a business standpoint, I think it made sense for me.

“If they were releasing new AAA games day one on other platforms, I don’t think that’s a good strategy for [a] platform holder like PlayStation. I’m not seeing any proof of them changing their strategy this generation, but if they are changing its going to be interesting how they are able to maintain the investment on the big budget games on the first-party side going forward.”

Yoshida’s comments come after a new report recently revealed that both Ghost of Yotei and Saros will remain exclusive to PlayStation 5, as will Insomniac’s upcoming Wolverine game, as Sony pulls back from PC. In recent years, Sony had expanded PlayStation to PC, but refrained from going as far as Microsoft, which releases all its games on PC at the same time as console, instead taking a staggered approach and releasing its single-player PlayStation games on PC after a period of console exclusivity. Single-player games will now allegedly remain console exclusive, marking a significant strategy shift and a return to console exclusivity at a time when console rival Microsoft is all-in on multiplatform.

It’s also worth noting recent reports that Sony may have to delay the release of the PS6 to 2028 or even 2029 as a result of the AI-fueled chip crisis.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.