Review

Dataminer : Fuites PlayStation PS5/PC Cross-Buy

  • Updated December 20, 2025
  • Junko Hoshino
  • 284 comments

Les dernières analyses de données ont révélé des symboles indiquant que PlayStation a introduit une fonctionnalité "Cross-Buy" pour les titres jouables sur PS5 et PC. Bien que la découverte pointe vers cette nouvelle fonctionnalité, il reste incertain si la compatibilité entre plateformes est confirmée pour le PC ou si elle est potentiellement destinée à un futur appareil portable PlayStation. Les résultats sont appuyés par des preuves visuelles disponibles via les liens d'images fournis.

Dataminer : Fuites PlayStation PS5/PC Cross-Buy

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284 Comments

  2. Intéressant, cette découverte de symboles “Cross-Buy” pour le PS5 et PC ! Personnellement, je serais ravi de ne pas avoir à racheter mes jeux, comme c’est souvent le cas entre console et PC. Cela dit, l’incertitude mentionnée sur la compatibilité réelle avec le PC ou un éventuel handheld PlayStation me laisse un peu sceptique—j’attendrai une annonce officielle avant de trop m’emballer. Vous pensez que Sony va vraiment sauter le pas pour concurrencer des plateformes comme Xbox Play Anywhere ?

    1. Merci pour ton commentaire, je comprends ton enthousiasme à l’idée de ne pas racheter tes jeux, un vrai plus pour les joueurs ! Effectivement, sans annonce officielle de Sony, il est sage de rester prudent, mais cette découverte dans les données laisse effectivement penser qu’ils pourraient vouloir rivaliser avec des offres comme Xbox Play Anywhere. Pour suivre le sujet de près, je te suggère de garder un œil sur les blogs officiels PlayStation pour les prochaines mises à jour. N’hésite pas à revenir partager ton avis si une annonce est faite !

  3. It’s unlikely they’ve earned significantly more from PC sales in just five years compared to over a decade of PS4 and PS5 revenue, especially with titles like Sackboy and Until Dawn having minimal player bases on PC. While Helldivers 2 was a major success on PC due to its day-one release, their single-player games following God of War and Spider-Man haven’t matched that level of impact.

    An $800 million figure over their time as a PC publisher might be more plausible, but even that seems hard to believe given the varying success of each game in terms of player counts and sales, as indicated by data from the Insomniac hack. The appeal of these ports appears to have diminished after the initial few years, based on their more recent releases aside from Helldivers.

    1. Legitimate dataminers are transparent about their sources, as it lends credibility to their findings. Those who claim to have uncovered information through data mining but refuse to disclose their sources should be viewed with suspicion.

  6. Sony reported that games initially released on PlayStation and later ported to PC and other platforms generated approximately $650 million in revenue for the fiscal year ending March 2024.

    1. It’s important to note that this isn’t limited to PC and also includes titles like MLB The Show on Xbox and Switch, as well as Lego Horizon. PlayStation likely won’t report PC sales separately, even though they probably account for most of this metric, but we don’t have detailed game-by-game data. I suspect much of this comes from Helldivers 2, which was their most successful PC release by a significant margin.

    2. There is no need for a separate launcher. If you want this feature, recent games already allow you to link your PSN account to unlock trophies on either Steam or the Epic Games launcher. This includes Spider-Man 2, God of War Ragnarok, The Last of Us Part 2, Ghost of Tsushima, and Horizon Remaster.

          2. Sony could also sell third-party games on PC.

            Some may argue that developers would prefer to stick with Steam rather than use the PSN PC launcher. However, Sony could require that publishing on PS5 also means releasing the game on their PC store, giving them immediate leverage.

          4. People use GOG and Epic, though not as frequently, and someone like me with a nine-year PlayStation account would definitely choose to buy a game on a PlayStation PC storefront over Steam. Those who care about their trophy collections would prefer to maintain them on PC rather than starting a new, less appealing collection on Steam.

          5. Given that estimates show Steam holds 85% of the market share, even with Epic giving away free games weekly, it raises the question of how many people actually use GOG and Epic.

            Launching a new PC storefront now would be as challenging as creating a new mobile operating system.

          6. Sony currently receives no revenue from third-party PC game sales, so they have every incentive to increase that percentage. By offering cross-buy support for PS6, they could attract more customers to their store over Steam and retain 100% of first-party game sales. This strategy presents virtually no downside for them.

          8. Sony is arguably the best positioned company for this. They already operate PSN, and 95% of the work required for a PC game launcher overlaps with their current operations. The PS5 is essentially a closed AMD-based PC.

  8. PlayStation has a strong incentive to expand their game releases beyond consoles. The development costs for AAA titles are extremely high, and they aren’t generating as much profit from them as expected. The console market is nearing saturation, meaning there are few new customers to attract with exclusives, which are also very expensive to produce.

    To recover these costs, they need to reach more players. Releasing games on PC and their handheld device could significantly increase revenue without a major rise in expenses. However, their recent PC releases have underperformed, and the lengthy delays in bringing games to the platform are proving costly.

  13. You may not recall the PS3 era, but in 2011, the PlayStation Network was down for 24 days. Additionally, last year’s network crash prevented even local games from working for a full day.

  16. My guess is they’ll remain available on Steam, but cross-buy will only apply to purchases made through the PlayStation launcher, so it would be wise to buy there.

  19. Third-party support is difficult to measure since it depends on what you consider significant. The most objective metric is the quantity of releases, where Nintendo leads by a wide margin, especially in Japan. Konami doesn’t release its best-selling series on PlayStation because the market there is weak. Many Japanese third-party developers also continue to produce exclusive collaborative titles, which have largely stopped on PS5.

    Xbox receives most major AAA third-party games, but that hasn’t been enough to drive its success. First-party offerings have always been the most crucial factor. Both Xbox and PlayStation have released games on Nintendo platforms, but the reverse rarely happens.

    1. First-party is most crucial to whom? This information is inaccurate unless you’re referring only to Nintendo. Sony generates the vast majority of its revenue from third-party software, as they have publicly stated.

      1. Sony lost its dominance in Japan after shifting most first-party development away from its home market. This decline followed their peak during the PS1 and PS2 era. Once they eased their focus, competitors gained ground. The Switch has now outsold the PS2 and PS4 in North America and is only slightly behind in Europe.

        If first-party titles weren’t crucial, Sony wouldn’t have invested heavily in live-service games, which have largely flopped or been canceled.

        1. Sony has rarely funded Japanese exclusives. Most exclusives from the PS1 to PS4 era existed because PlayStation was the dominant gaming system in Japan, along with technical limitations on consoles like the N64, not due to exclusivity deals. Over time, more third-party developers have released their games on Nintendo, Xbox, and PC as well, partly because Japanese developers recognized the growing Western interest in their games.

        2. You seem to misunderstand PlayStation’s revenue and the broader market.

          Can you name PlayStation’s first-party games from the PS1 and PS2 era that specifically targeted Japan? I suspect you’ll have difficulty, as most of those titles were developed by third parties. Games like Wild Arms 3 didn’t capture Japan’s attention the way Monster Hunter or Dragon Warrior did.

          The Japanese market is now dominated by mobile and handheld gaming. The Switch appeals strongly to that audience, while PlayStation does not. When PlayStation did compete in that space, such as with the Vita, it performed relatively well in Japan compared to other regions.

          Additionally, not all of PlayStation’s live service investments have failed or been canceled. Helldivers 2, for example, became one of the biggest games-as-a-service titles ever. It’s surprising that you’re repeating inaccurate claims while the person correcting you is being downvoted.

    4. I hope the next Xbox follows this approach since it’s essentially a PC. If it allows me to play physical games on PC, I’ll finally have a reason to buy games outside of Steam. Whichever company implements this, Sony or Microsoft, will earn my business.

  21. The games sold well initially when PlayStation began porting to PC years ago, but the novelty has worn off, and they’re now treated like any other releases.

    Horizon remains their best-selling PC port to date.

    Many players lose interest due to the one-year-plus delay for PC versions. With so many other games available, people often forget or move on.

    Even Spider-Man 2, their biggest franchise, had a relatively quick PC port but still didn’t make a major impact on the PC gaming scene.

    As a PC gamer, I’ve enjoyed both The Last of Us and Horizon series.

  22. It seems someone feels threatened that their exclusives are coming to PC. We’ve gone from “you’ll never get our exclusives” to “enjoy the wait.” Soon it will be day-one releases, and you’ll just find new goalposts.

    Does it bother you that I can play all your precious exclusives on a portable device while you have to wait two years for your own PlayStation portable? As you said, enjoy the wait.

      1. Microsoft recognized this years ago. I remember being criticized when I speculated that PlayStation would follow suit. It’s difficult to reason with gamers because they often let emotions influence discussions about business matters.

        1. It’s unfair to group console warriors with genuine gamers, as the former rarely present valid arguments beyond claiming cross-platform play devalues their console of choice.

          If you prefer a specific console, then purchase your games there. Personally, while I’m not a fan of Microsoft, I maintain my Xbox Series X for several practical reasons: I own over 500 games that are inaccessible elsewhere, repurchasing them on PC isn’t feasible, and many of my friends still play on Xbox. Consequently, I continue to buy games on that platform when possible.

          Ultimately, exclusivity seems increasingly pointless this generation. Both Sony and Microsoft have demonstrated their consoles can run nearly identical games, with only minor exceptions. There’s little justification for locking games to a single platform.

    2. First, single-player games will likely never be day-one releases on PC because Sony earns a full profit on their own platform, and PC development is more complex than consoles, which is why they have a separate studio for PC ports.

      Second, you’re paying $1,000 for a handheld that only offers slightly better performance than the Switch 2 at $450. That doesn’t seem impressive.

      1. Fortunately, I didn’t pay $1,000 for a PS5, and I also have a Switch.

        What’s impressive is that I’m playing some of these Sony games for free because Steam Family Sharing is far superior to Sony’s store. For the games I did pay for, five of my friends get to play them at no cost. Thanks, Sony, for porting games to a better platform. Even in ten years, Sony won’t have a family sharing feature this good, so they can keep cutting corners for their subpar store—it’s not my concern.

        I’ve heard all the arguments about Sony never porting games to PC to avoid giving up a 30% cut, but that reasoning falls apart if they launch their own PC launcher.

        1. You could have just admitted to pirating it. What point are you trying to make? I have an RGH Xbox 360 with every game, and Microsoft hasn’t received a cent from me.

          I recall you used to support Xbox, but now that they’re no longer relevant, you’ve switched to Steam.

          Sony has been releasing games on PC even before the PS5 launched.

          1. I’ll stick with Steam since I save more there than on the PlayStation Store. I primarily game on PC and use Game Pass, but I’ve owned all consoles over the years. I’m looking forward to more PlayStation ports coming to PC.

  25. Microsoft has long been synonymous with PC gaming, yet even their store has barely impacted Steam’s market share. While there are reasons for this—such as the Xbox team perhaps being better suited to lead the store—I doubt Sony would fare any better.

    1. Microsoft has consistently struggled in consumer markets. Even their pre-installed browser fails to gain traction. Their success stems largely from backroom deals with governments and corporations, which made Windows and Office essential utilities. In competitive markets where they must persuade consumers, they repeatedly fail.

      1. People are not forced to use Windows and Office; it’s a free market. You can choose alternatives like Linux, Mac, LibreOffice, or OpenOffice without legal consequences.

        1. You may not be familiar with how the situation unfolded in the 1990s during that competitive period. Microsoft secured agreements with governments and corporations to install Windows and Office in schools and workplaces, making them essential for users and leaving little opportunity for competitors. Since people required these tools for work and education, they became the standard.

          Since then, Microsoft’s only other major success has been Azure, which is also an enterprise product rather than one aimed at consumers.

          1. You may not be familiar with Windows’ history. It became a de facto standard in the 1980s, before Windows even existed, because it was built on QDOS, later known as MS-DOS. IBM sold 86-DOS to Microsoft, and they partnered due to concerns about Apple becoming a major competitor. With IBM’s wider adoption, Microsoft continued improving their OS and eventually sold it to other consumers, rebranding it as MS-DOS. By then, it already had a major market share due to broad software support. Since Windows was built on MS-DOS, it became a standard upon launch.

            There is no conspiracy. People could use other operating systems, but MS-DOS and Windows were simply more popular, had more software, and therefore more use cases. Microsoft did not force Windows on schools or similar institutions. It made sense for governments, schools, and large companies to make deals with Microsoft rather than pay for individual licenses.

          3. The Xbox 360 was also a financial failure, though it might have been profitable if not for the Red Ring of Death.

  29. Sony should never have ported their games to PC. The current PlayStation leadership appears shortsighted, but I doubt they would be so foolish as to offer high-quality games to PC players on a silver platter, making them easy to pirate upon release. If you want to play PlayStation games, you should do so on a PS5 or not at all.

  31. My guess is the cross-buy banner is intended as a visually appealing icon for PS4 games that include a PS5 version, which could also be reused for future PS5 and PS6 games.

      1. We’ve gone from a vast library to exclusives, and now we’re bragging about a one-year timed game that’s also on Xbox. PlayStation console warriors are really reaching for anything since Sony started porting their games to a superior store.

  41. Japan’s gaming market has remained largely unchanged since the 1990s and 2000s, with consistent transportation and housing conditions that never created the environment for handheld dominance. If portability were the key factor, why did the Vita underperform so significantly? It sold only half as well as the PS3 and PS4, which themselves sold less than half of what the PS1 and PS2 achieved.

    Just look at the weekly top 30 sales charts—it’s clear that first-party titles are essential.

    Sony shifted toward games-as-a-service because they were investing more in single-player games without seeing proportional sales growth. Once again, they chased a trend and it backfired.

    With Microsoft now effectively stepping back as a full third-party competitor, there’s no reason for Sony to follow their lead. It was Sony’s focus on strong first-party games in the later PS3 and PS4 eras that helped them and Nintendo push Xbox out of the market, though this came at the cost of their presence in Japan.

    1. This has to be a joke. It reads like someone who is confidently incorrect, imagining they know the “real truth” about the industry while wearing a tinfoil hat.

      > Look at the top 30 sales each week and tell me first party doesn’t matter.

      You have to be trolling. Look at the top 10 games month after month, or the top 20 year after year, and tell me with a straight face that first-party games are relevant for Sony.

      1. I’ve often wondered when a game reports selling, for example, 2 or 5 million copies, how many of those were purchased at full price versus on sale. Pokémon Violet was bought at full price, while DBZ Xenoverse 2 was purchased for $5 on sale years later. Both would be counted as sales if the companies announced their numbers today.

  43. I expect this will lead to earlier PC releases or day-one launches. It will likely be on their own launcher or Epic’s store, since Sony has partial ownership of Epic. They’ve been signaling their intent to expand further on PC in every earnings call.

    2. I believe they will maintain six-month to one-year timed exclusivity for single-player games. They acquired Nixxes specifically for PC ports, and their other studios struggle to release games every five years even for just PlayStation platforms.

    5. I would assume it’s their own store, though I’m still skeptical Sony would fully commit to a storefront. Epic spent a huge amount on the Epic Games Store and only gained users who don’t buy many games.

  46. I hope this means more attention will be given to PC ports. While most are generally good, some have inconsistent performance with odd memory issues. I understand Nixxes has limited resources, but a bit more focus would make them great. I’m concerned about potential DRM impacts if they go that route, though Steam ports haven’t included them so far as I know.

    2. This practice dates back to the original Xbox 360 era—achievements, Xbox Live, and more. Even this generation, when Xbox shifted focus to monthly active users over hardware sales, many criticized them for it last generation.

      This is ultimately beneficial for gamers everywhere and highlights why competition is important. We all stand to gain from it.

      1. I’m not upset by this at all, but I didn’t expect them to do it since they’re not as large as Microsoft. They earn nearly double from PS Store and Steam sales, so making their games buy once, play everywhere is a bit surprising.

  53. This is likely for their handheld device, but it would be great if it included PC. Since I haven’t had access to my PC lately and have been using a PS5 instead, it would be convenient if the exclusives I purchase now would also be available on my PC when I return to it.

          2. I understand your concern, but we’re far from an authoritarian state. However, the Online Safety Act should definitely be repealed.

        2. While I agree, that’s not why Imgur is blocked. Earlier, Imgur was mishandling children’s data, so the UK fined them under existing laws that predate the Online Safety Act. In response, Imgur blocked the UK.

  58. The theory linking Cross-Buy to the rumored PS Portable “Canis” is intriguing. It could be a method to verify physical PS4 or PS5 purchases and transfer them to a digital-only portable device. However, this would require an internet connection and likely limit the transfer to one use per disc, which could negatively impact the secondhand market.

      1. The leaked symbols suggest Canis is a 16 CU AMD Zen 6 and RDNA 5 PS6 dockable handheld, Orion is the 52 CU PS6 home console, and Magnus is a 68 CU next-generation Xbox.

  59. I assume this is for their existing PC games and their rumored handheld, similar to the PS3/PS4 era with the Vita. It may also relate to their own launcher, which was rumored to be in development.

        1. I remember buying Portal 2 on PS3 and receiving both a PS3 disc and a code for the Steam version in the box. I later sold my PS3 copy for what I paid and kept the Steam version. So I wouldn’t call it cross-buy, but more like a buy-one-get-one-free deal.

        3. They didn’t actually implement cross-buy, since it should work both ways, but you didn’t receive a PS3 version when purchasing the Steam game.

          When Valve provided a free code for their game on Steam, it cost them almost nothing and could even attract PlayStation users to their platform.

          However, the reverse doesn’t make sense. Why would Valve agree to earn nothing from Steam licenses sold through the PS Store? Similarly, it’s unlikely Sony would offer Valve only 5% of PS Store sales for cross-buy titles just to potentially draw users to the PC version. Sony would stand to lose too much revenue.

          1. As described, purchasing Portal 2 on PS3 also granted access on Steam. Valve later discontinued this, likely due to the same limitations they encountered with Microsoft.

            At the time, consoles lacked the capability for on-demand updates. For instance, Bungie wanted to add new cosmetics to Halo Reach but was restricted by Microsoft’s policies on title updates.

          2. If you bought Portal 2 on PS3, you also received a Steam key to activate it on PC. However, since Portal 2 is a Valve game and not developed by Sony, that was likely the only reason for this arrangement. I can see Sony creating a PC game launcher, as many companies are pursuing this approach. It’s disappointing.

          3. I don’t see Sony or other major publishers adopting this approach. Game publishing isn’t a significant part of Valve’s business model, as they typically release only one game per decade.

          6. You’re missing the point. Sony is creating a launcher to benefit you, not to replace Steam. It will allow you to play your PlayStation library on PC at no extra cost for games that support it. I don’t see how this is a bad thing.

          7. They might begin releasing first-party games exclusively on their platform rather than Steam. Hopefully, this leads to more day-one releases for us.

          8. Portal 2 on PS3 included a Steam key and supported cross-play for co-op between PS3 and PC, though this was shortly before the PSN hack that disrupted online services.

          11. This may have been a response to Microsoft’s opposition to crossplay during the Xbox 360 era, while many games supported crossplay between PlayStation 3 and PC.

        1. A PS launcher would likely become more popular than the Epic Games Store quickly. Sony could leverage third-party support by requiring games with PC versions to be available on the PlayStation PC launcher as a condition for PlayStation console releases. They could also use exclusivity for their own titles and secure third-party deals to make the launcher essential for gamers.

          1. Why would it instantly be more popular than the Epic Games Store? Sony doesn’t have any exclusive more popular than Fortnite.

            Even if Sony had every game on their launcher, Steam would still be more popular. The PlayStation Store isn’t close to Steam in terms of features, and catching up isn’t easy—just ask Epic.

          4. It remains a household name among gamers and would attract a larger audience than the Epic Games Store.

          5. Sony’s games on Steam remain unchanged, and they’re unlikely to make them exclusive to their own launcher, as that strategy would likely fail. The Epic Games Store primarily exists because of Fortnite.

          6. If they release all their games on PC, I’m fine with that. I’ll still get my games on Steam, which is consistently far ahead of PSN. I’ll only buy their first-party titles on PSN if they become exclusive.

          8. The main advantages Epic has over Steam are exclusives and Fortnite being limited to its launcher, but third-party exclusivity deals for the Epic Games Store have been scarce lately. They do offer free games, but that’s essentially it.

            GOG, while smaller, is a solid alternative that focuses on selling DRM-free games.

        2. It’s a possibility. All of Sony’s PC games are available on both the Epic Games Store and Steam. I find it interesting that Xbox doesn’t use the Epic Games Store, relying instead on the Microsoft Store and partially on Battle.net.

          Regarding the partnership aspect, there’s a chance some games might participate in such a program, likely titles where Sony would receive a revenue share, such as their own published games.

          2. At one point, these games were available on the Epic Games Store, including The Outer Worlds, which was exclusive to that platform. Later, they shifted to releasing PC games only on the Microsoft Store and, by extension, Steam, with some titles—mainly from Bethesda and Obsidian—also appearing on Battle.net. It’s surprising, especially since Epic offers publishers a larger revenue share than Steam, particularly for games built on Unreal Engine 5.

          2. I wouldn’t say vice versa. Epic is definitely desperate enough with the Epic Games Store that they would allow another company to enable cross-buy on their platform.

          3. True, considering they frequently offer free games, they likely wouldn’t mind people purchasing on PlayStation and playing through RGS on PC if it brings additional traffic.

    2. I think this supports the launcher theory. Xbox and Steam already offer cross-buy, where purchasing a game on one platform lets you play it on PC and other supported devices. Sony might be creating their own PC launcher to release games simultaneously on PS5 and PC. This would allow them to earn more revenue directly before eventually porting titles to Steam and other storefronts.

  61. Haven’t they been testing this for the last few years? PC players aren’t actively seeking out PlayStations for exclusives; they just wait a few years for the PC releases. So Sony is meeting them where they are from day one.

  63. I don’t understand why people make such a big deal about installing a launcher. I just want to play the game and couldn’t care less which launcher or store it’s on.

        1. While I understand that thought, the handheld is expected to play the full PS5/PS4 library, meaning nearly every game would have this feature. That seems to defeat the purpose.

          1. As we currently understand it, the handheld will be able to play the full PS5/4 library. Are you sure about that? I thought the latest rumors said not every PS5 game will be playable without patching.

          1. PlayStation earns a 30% cut from third-party games sold on their platform, giving them a strong incentive to attract users to PlayStation rather than encouraging them to buy single-player titles on PC at launch. Additionally, while they acquired Nixxes for PC ports, their other studios struggle to release games every five years even for PS4 and PS5. It seems unlikely that every PlayStation Studios game would launch simultaneously on PC. Day-one releases for multiplayer titles are far more reasonable.

          2. One hundred percent of $100,000 is less than seventy percent of $1,000,000. Also, estimating that about 10% of PC users would use the PS launcher seems extremely high.

  72. If verified, cross-buy would be new. It could be for a handheld, since rumors suggest not all games will be supported, or perhaps for their own PC launcher. However, PS5 and PC symbols have been on PSN for some time—just check Spider-Man or Stellar Blade. The new symbol simply combines them.

    1. Sony was actually the first to implement cross-buy on a significant scale with the Vita. It wouldn’t be surprising if they reintroduced this feature for the handheld in some form, especially given the growing expectation that cross-generation compatibility will become more common and games will be optimized for lower-power devices from the start.

      1. I believe this handheld concept will only work if your game library carries over. The device should serve as a companion for playing your games on the go, not as a separate ecosystem.

        1. The ability to run PS5 and PS4 games would be a major drawback. With the Switch and Steam Deck already offering extensive portable libraries, it’s hard to imagine this succeeding without similar flexibility.

          While the PlayStation Portal defied expectations as a streaming-only device, the appeal of any new hardware depends heavily on having access to my full game library.

          1. The high price likely stems from the PlayStation brand rather than the controller’s features, as it requires a $500-600 console and reliable Wi-Fi to function.

          2. According to the PlayStation blog, cloud streaming for digital PS5 games is now available on PlayStation Portal. Additionally, streaming was possible even without a PlayStation 5 prior to this update.

          3. It took two years to finally get this feature, but it’s still not very useful since you need Wi-Fi to play those games.

          4. You mentioned it’s a $200 PS5, but you didn’t mention that you need the top-tier subscription to use the feature, and it’s stream-only. Streaming a game is not the same as native gameplay.

            I’ll save $320 by downloading games on my PS5 and playing them at home instead.

            Alternatively, I can play games on my Switch 2, which does support native gameplay.

          5. It’s amusing that you believe you’re arguing from a strong position when the game’s incredible sales success makes any point you raise irrelevant. Regardless of your opinion, the game is clearly popular and has sold very well.

          6. While 500,000 units worldwide may not be considered “unbelievably well” for PlayStation—especially when the PSVR2 sold around 2 million and was still viewed as a failure by the company president—this device also lacks native game download support, requires Wi-Fi and a subscription to function, and offers no truly untethered wireless gaming. Additionally, if the screen breaks, you’re left with no recourse. Given these limitations, it’s unlikely you use it regularly.

          9. People don’t buy the Portal just for the brand. I used to think I didn’t need one since I had a phone and a Backbone, but after trying it, I realized they don’t compare. The DualSense features, vibrant screen, and stable connection make it feel like playing natively on the PS5.

            It’s popular because it’s useful and innovative, not just because it’s PlayStation-branded. If branding alone drove sales, all their overpriced accessories would be constantly sold out.

            For those downvoting, you don’t even need a PS5 to use it with cloud streaming. It’s essentially a $200 PS5 experience, so what’s the excuse for dismissing it now?

          10. He’s comparing gaming devices to accessories like earbuds and headphones, which doesn’t make sense.

          11. Without native game support, a subscription requirement to access games, reliance on Wi-Fi with no alternative wireless options, and the risk of a broken screen rendering the device useless, I’ll take a $550 PS5 console instead. What reason is there to consider this now?

          13. The cloud feature, added two years later, does make it somewhat more appealing, but it still lacks native game downloads and playability.

          14. Most televisions do not support native game downloads, and the majority of users are not concerned with this feature.

          15. No, it is not. You cannot download games onto it to play elsewhere without needing Wi-Fi. It is simply a controller with Wi-Fi requirements.

      2. Sony was actually one of the first to implement cross-buy on a significant scale with the Vita.

        While not on the same scale, when Portal 2 launched, I purchased a physical PS3 copy because it included a digital Steam version. I had originally planned to buy it only on Steam but changed my mind when I realized I could essentially get a free PS3 copy.

        I had hoped Portal 2 would mark the beginning of a stronger Sony-Valve partnership, especially since the PS3 version incorporated some form of Steam functionality. Unfortunately, it seems it wasn’t popular enough at the time to justify further investment from either company.

        1. I switched to PC years ago because it was clear the market was shifting when Xbox released Quantum Break on PC. The PC market had grown too large to ignore, and if Sony saw Xbox profiting from it, they would likely follow. It was the best decision I made, as Steam offers more features and is the best ecosystem to invest in.

          1. Microsoft should have released their games on PC from the beginning. It’s surprising they didn’t, especially since they own Windows. With a bit more foresight about PC gaming, they could have created their own platform like Steam back then. However, it’s fortunate they didn’t, as Valve has proven to be better in this area.

          4. Valve is unlikely to be bought or go private, as they value their independence more than any other studio. But for the sake of discussion, a minority stake wouldn’t bother me much. If they were fully acquired, it would put me in a difficult position.

            In that case, I’d rely more on Battle.net, which is already my main platform for World of Warcraft and Blizzard games.

            For titles from studios owned by Saudi interests, I’d consider pirating them if I had any interest and if it were possible. For instance, there’s a free DLC coming for Mirage that I won’t play due to Saudi involvement, even though I own the game.

            As for hypotheticals like Saudi Arabia buying Microsoft or the entire planet, I’ll worry about that if it ever happens. Fortunately, I have many hobbies and limited time, so gaming is just one interest I could live without.

          5. You missed my point, but at least I made you think about where your money goes. With the Saudis, it would go to figures like Prince Bonesaw and other oil-rich billionaires.

            Currently, Steam has around 400 employees. The highest-paid earn about a million per year, and the average salary is likely around $500,000. For simplicity, let’s use the million-dollar figure to account for fluctuations and benefits, putting employee costs at roughly $400 million annually.

            Analysts estimate Steam generates $4–7 billion in yearly revenue and would be valued at $20–30 billion if publicly traded—similar to EA, which the Saudis purchased for $55 billion.

            After covering all expenses, Steam’s profits go to its one or two billionaire owners. One of them, Gabe Newell, doesn’t just buy yachts; he bought the entire company that builds them.

            While this is better than money going to the Saudis, is it significantly better?

            In contrast, Sony and Microsoft are publicly traded companies with over 20,000 gaming employees each. Their profits go to shareholders, including small investors and pension funds that benefit millions of people.

            I prefer the Xbox ecosystem, especially for Play Anywhere and cloud-enabled games, but whenever possible, I support the original developers or publishers as the content creators. I’m looking forward to Sony’s PC store, which could also be used on future Xbox hardware. Sony would keep 100% of the revenue without sharing with middlemen like Valve or Microsoft, though I’d hope for Sony’s equivalent of Play Anywhere with cloud support.

          6. I understand wanting to support developers and publishers where they receive the most benefit. However, most people choose Steam for its convenience and user experience rather than to support the platform itself. This is typical consumer behavior—people prefer having everything in one place. Personally, I welcome other PC storefronts and appreciate options like GOG for their preservation efforts. Your point is clear now, and I value being mindful of where my money goes. I hope you apply the same consideration to other industries with significant ethical concerns, such as animal agriculture.

          7. PlayStation’s main advantages are playing next-gen games on a big TV, the controller that also works on PC, and timed exclusives so you don’t have to wait. However, Steam’s regional pricing is so strong that I’d likely never purchase directly from the PlayStation store if this cross-buy feature happens.

        1. Even if Sony continues to stagger releases for single-player games, I can see them allowing you to buy a game on PS5 or future consoles and immediately gain access to it on PC whenever it launches, including on handheld devices. However, I doubt they would release games first on a first-party PlayStation launcher. Microsoft attempted this with early Xbox titles like Killer Instinct and Quantum Break, aiming to attract developers to the Microsoft Store, but it backfired. Within three years, they began releasing games like Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Gears 5 simultaneously on Steam. Sony must realize that few would switch to their launcher, especially since they’ve already built a significant presence as a publisher on Steam.

          1. I don’t think a Sony PC launcher is likely either, given the industry’s poor track record with such platforms. While not impossible, I doubt they’ll pursue it. Instead, I expect them to maintain six-month to full-year timed exclusivity for single-player titles. For multiplayer games, they’ll likely release simultaneously on all platforms to maximize player counts. Their acquisition of Nixxes supports this strategy for PC ports, especially since their other studios struggle to release games every five years even for PlayStation consoles alone.

          2. This is exactly what I see them doing. It would also be ideal for me personally, especially if that portable PS6 SKU is real.

            I could see them having other incentives, like Epic Games—for example, if you bought Borderlands 4, you might get an early skin in Fortnite.

            I think GOG does this as well.

          3. A first-party PlayStation launcher seems inevitable, especially with features like Trophy integration in recent releases. While such features may remain across all storefronts, it’s likely that cross-buy will be restricted to their own launcher, similar to Microsoft’s Play Anywhere program. Steam will continue to be a major platform for these games, providing a second wave of sales from late ports, much like how Microsoft titles typically lack cross-progression with Steam—though recent releases like Gears Reloaded and the Halo remake have started embracing cross-platform integration.

      2. I’ve heard that Helldivers 2 would never come to Xbox, PlayStation games would never come to PC, and Xbox games would never come to PlayStation. Yet here we are.

          1. I meant “PS,” not PC, regarding Xbox games. We haven’t forgotten Games for Windows, but we wish we could. The cross-play feature at the time was more of a hindrance for both console and PC players and was eventually phased out. It wasn’t until the mid-2010s that it made a strong comeback.

      5. It’s almost certain GTA 6 will release on PC, likely within a year of the console launch. The potential revenue from Steam alone is too significant to overlook. Given that the game is already developed on PCs, there’s little reason not to adopt a simultaneous multiplatform release for Xbox, PS5, and PC.

  76. I understand that, and I also add all my games to Steam regardless of where they’re from. However, this issue isn’t as significant as some have claimed. It’s really just a minor inconvenience.

  78. It’s unrealistic to think that would work. Even the Epic Games Store would be more popular than yet another launcher for a handful of PC ports. If Sony removes their games from Steam, they’ll lose most of their PC sales. Sony has no chance of competing with Steam.

  79. Sony cannot challenge Steam, especially since they consistently show a lack of understanding for the PC gaming community and underestimate its stubbornness. Just look at how the PSN controversy turned out.

  80. I believe they’ll maintain six-month to full-year timed exclusivity for single-player games, while multiplayer titles will launch with day-one cross-platform support. Their acquisition of Nixxes supports PC porting for single-player games, and their other studios are already stretched developing games for PS4 and PS5 every five years.

  86. They ironically undermined their chances by releasing previous games on Steam, especially with system sellers like both The Last of Us games, both God of War games, and both Ghost of Tsushima games already available there.

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