Sony recently released the critically acclaimed ‘Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart’ on Steam to expand its gaming presence on the PC platform. However, despite receiving rave reviews from users, the game failed to make a significant impact in terms of player numbers.
With just 8757 concurrent players at its peak on July 26, the title fell short compared to other PlayStation ports, raising questions about Sony’s PC gaming strategy.
Sony’s Dominance in the Console Wars: Sony has long been a dominant player in the console wars, fiercely competing with Microsoft’s Xbox for market share. Both companies have shared similar hardware and games, resulting in overlapping customer bases.
However, Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard has fortified its gaming arsenal, including the popular franchise, Call of Duty, putting additional pressure on Sony, especially in PC gaming, where Microsoft has historically been more prominent.
Mixed Success with PC Gaming
While Sony has tasted success with its exclusive titles on the PC platform, the performance of ‘Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart’ has left much to be desired.
Despite boasting a “Very Positive” 84% rating based on 670 user reviews, the game struggled to maintain its player count beyond launch day, making it the third-worst PC launch for PlayStation titles.
Comparative Player Numbers on Steam
Examining the SteamDB data, Sony’s highest-earning titles on the PC platform do not even crack the top 100 games by concurrent player count. For instance, ‘God of War’ reached an impressive 73,529 concurrent players, while ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered’ and ‘Horizon Zero Dawn’ achieved 66,436 and 56,557 players, respectively.
However, even the 100th-ranked game on Steam, ‘Tom Clancy’s The Division,’ boasted an all-time peak of 114,228 concurrent players, highlighting the significant gap between Sony’s PC gaming performance and other successful titles.
Identifying Potential Factors
Some speculations regarding Sony’s struggles on PC revolve around the process of porting console games to PC. However, early reviews for ‘Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart’ suggest that the gameplay received praise and did not contribute to the low player count.
Instead, experts believe that Sony’s strategies for attracting new customers unfamiliar with PlayStation’s exclusive titles may be lacking.
The Way Forward
To remain competitive in PC gaming, Sony may need to reevaluate its launch strategies and marketing efforts for its exclusive titles on the platform. This could include targeted promotions, optimized PC ports [1], and engaging with the gaming community to create interest in PlayStation classics.
