Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Hideaki Nishino has issued a statement regarding the exclusivity status of first-party games, confirming that single-player games will remain exclusive to PlayStation consoles.
During an interview with Famitsu (via the ResetEra forums), Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Hideaki Nishino was asked for his thoughts on recent reports suggesting that the company may reconsider bringing PS5 titles to PC. In response, he confirmed that first-party single-player games will remain exclusive to “further refine the value of the gaming experience that PlayStation can offer.” He further mentioned that live-service titles will continue to be released across PlayStation and PC.
According to Nishino, Sony Interactive Entertainment has always chosen platforms for its first-party titles based on their individual characteristics. The company will continue to consider releasing PlayStation games on PC as an option provided it would maximize the gaming experience. In this case, the company is of the view that live-service titles are the ones that are to gain from being available on PC in addition to PlayStation consoles by maximizing their player base. After all, a multiplayer game is only as healthy as its community.
The Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO also clarified that PlayStation exclusivity only apples to games developed by PlayStation Studios and not via external partnerships. This leaves the door open for third-party collaborations where the company doesn’t own the IP to be released on PC either simultaneously with the PlayStation console version, as will be the case with the upcoming Kena: Scars of Kosmora, or after a timed-exclusivity window, as was the case with Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. On the other hand, third-party collaborations where the console maker does own the IP, like God of War: Sons of Sparta, will likely remain exclusive much like the in-house projects.
“We’ve always determined platform selection based on the characteristics of each title,” said Nishino. “If releasing a title on PC would maximize the gaming experience, we’ll continue to consider that option. Our current main policy is that, for single-player games developed in-house, we will further refine the value of the gaming experience that PlayStation can offer. At the same time, we believe it is important for live-service games to reach a wider audience through online multiplayer, so we continue to view releases on both PS5 and PC as the standard. Regardless of the platform, we will make decisions based on the principle of delivering the best possible gaming experience that maximizes each title’s unique features.”
