A big part of PlayStation’s appeal is its first-party exclusive games, with titles like The Last of Us 2, Ghost of Tsushima, and a slate of others giving people a reason to invest in the PS4, and soon, the PS5. However, PlayStation is bringing more first-party games to PC after launching Horizon: Zero Dawn on the platform earlier this year.
Now, fans are beginning to wonder which first-part PlayStation exclusives could come to PC, and while it would be wonderful to see all of them make their way over eventually, there are some that would be far better fits than others. Certain titles would benefit much more from the robust range of advantages that PCs offer, including higher resolutions and mod support.
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Of course, there’s no end to games that fans want to see, and with Xbox releasing its exclusive games on PC, it seems that there are going to be many new reasons for console players to try out the platform.
With the Dark Souls franchise having such a dedicated fanbase on PC, Bloodborne coming to the system seems like a no-brainer for PlayStation. Bloodborne was far faster than the first Dark Souls games, and seems to have inspired some changes to the Souls formula, as evidenced by Dark Souls 3’s increased speed, and the blazing-fast combat in Sekiro.
Even beyond Bloodborne’s reception and influence, bringing the game to PC would afford it numerous quality-of-life improvements, hopefully allowing for higher frame rates and sharper resolutions. Both of those can go a long way to keep a game alive beyond the typical lifespan, and if it were to prove popular enough, it could even pave the way for Bloodborne 2. After Elden Ring finally releases, that is.
Not all of PlayStation’s triple-a exclusives have been as popular as the others, and nowhere is that more clear than with Days Gone, the biker zombie game set in Oregon from Sony’s Bend Studio. While the game isn’t necessarily bad, it launched with a host of issues that turned some players away from it, along with some outtakes from the story that were criticized as mediocre.
PC players may be able to give the game an extra layer of polish with mods, fixing the issues that it had at launch. The possibilities would be pretty much endless, giving the community a chance to overhaul Days Gone in compelling new ways, hopefully helping it strengthen its audience.
What exactly that entails falls to the community. Players could potentially see new locations, weapons, and even possibly new enemies given the right toolset, but that depends on how well the game is supported. Even without those features, Days Gone’s rich environments could easily be enhanced with the extra power of a gaming PC, giving players all the more reason to give Days Gone a try if it were to make it to the platform.
Kratos’ journey with his son Atreus was not only one of the defining games of the PS4, but a defining game of the decade in general. It proved how games can evolve from simple origins into something cinematic and bold, challenging players to grow alongside the cast of characters. In general, God of War reviews heaped praise on the title, citing the actors’ performances, narrative, and the world as reasons to journey through it.
Kratos’ appearance on PC seems like a natural fit for the franchise. The open nature and breadth of the world are key elements that PC players seem to click with, and the tight combat would seamlessly translate to mouse and keyboard. With dozens of challenges to face and places to explore, it’s a world that countless PC players would undoubtedly want to get lost in.
It is, however, a departure from the earlier entries in the series, being a soft reboot of the God of War franchise. It’s much harder to find a game that scratches the same itch as the older God of War games did in 2020, with some of the only alternatives being the Bayonetta games. And while it would be cool to see the entire God of War franchise make it to PC at some point, the 2018 reboot would be the way to go first.
Naughty Dog’s last few games have sought to tell emotional stories through the eyes of 3D characters, though none quite as much as The Last of Us series. Both the first game and its sequel would be equally great to see on PC, and a franchise bundle pack even more so, but if it came down to a choice between the two, the first game is too important to the second’s narrative to not make it to the platform first.
The Last of Us requires precision when aiming, which the mouse is well equipped for, and graphical overhauls would make the game that much more cinematic, even as it starts to show its age. It’s a recipe for success, especially considering that The Last of Us is a strong franchise globally. Unfortunately, the series seems like one of the least probable options for Sony to bring over, considering how important it is to the PlayStation brand
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Sucker Punch’s first game since Infamous: Second Son, Ghost of Tsushima is the final major exclusive for the PlayStation 4. So far, the reception to the game has been pretty positive, with the game’s subreddit still being host to screenshots, stories, and a whole lot more shared regularly.
As an open-world action game, Ghost of Tsushima isn’t that far off from Horizon: Zero Dawn, but the two games feature radically different combat mechanics and narratives, separating the two titles in a meaningful way. Ghost of Tsushima seems like the type of game that the PC fanbase would love to journey through, perhaps more than any other PlayStation exclusive.
Of course, there are many others that would be wonderful on PC. Regardless of which ones do make it, it may be a few years before newer games come to the platform, as it took Horizon three years after its initial launch to get a PC port. However, it presents a massive opportunity for Sony, and that could mean good things for PC and PlayStation players.