Sony May Be Preparing Its Own Version Of Xbox Play Anywhere For PS5 & PC

This plus the past data mines referencing a pc launcher and leakers claiming that sources within sony say a pc launcher is being made with cross entitlements, I think we can assume one is at least being worked on. Getting new symbols ready to release suggests they really are going down this route (and soon!). Plans can change but this bodes well for pc and possibly future xbox devices. Very exciting prospect to not have Playstation games locked to their console.

It's certainly an interesting find on the PlayStation Store, but what it amounts to just speculation right now. It could be something significant, or a whole bunch of nothing...

If the label is really meant for PC/console cross-buy releases, then a PC store/launcher might be good if Sony doesn't want Steam and Epic Games Store to get 12-30% per sold game. PC players who buy their games on the PlayStation store would require a PSN account. Such a store might also be available on whatever Microsoft Xbox is creating next.

But of course it would reduce the appeal for PlayStation consoles, as PlayStation games would be available on other devices, maybe even day 1 with the PlayStation console releases.

I bet Sony has several business and data analysts who crunched the numbers, to get to a decision.

Yeah see, competition is good. Keeps gaming platforms on their toes to provide better for consumers.

In other words Playstation users NEED Xbox to keep Sony from taking them for granted.

If its true: Thanks Xbox, one more time, cross-buy is clearly trying to copy Xbox Play Anywhere. And no, this has nothing to do with the PS3/PS Vita era, because that was the same ecosystem. Here, we’re talking about PC , an open ecosystem.

Sony is way behind on PC, and launching yet another PC launcher feels like a guaranteed flop. People will keep buying their games on Steam , and for cheaper, not at €70 or €80 like console prices.

Unless they pull their games from Steam and make them exclusive to their own launcher, which would be bold and risky , but hey, maybe. Still, considering how clumsy they are with apps and security , it doesn’t look good for them.

Anyway, we’ll see… but it smells like a desperate move in response to the upcoming Xbox, which might be able to run absolutely everything , even PlayStation games.

Microsoft, the innovators of renting digital games and play anywhere.

This would be awesome for my ally xbox x.

Play xbox, ps5, and pc games all in the same place with a single purchase. (With some caveats)

Hopefully it applies retroactively to purchases.

@fatpunkslim It absolute seems so. They will probably swallow their pride and use Steam and other third-party stores on day one, as the money, infrastructure and security for their own PC store might not be worth it, considering their limited software output and that third parties would likely favour Steam and Epic.

I always think it's funny when rumours like this happen and you get the usual twitter grifters saying "ps copying Xbox again but it's a dead platform lololol"

Yeah, but whenever ps copy something they always do better out of it than Xbox anyway!

And I'm in the "no point PS doing a PC launcher" camp, not sustainable cost wise. Partnering with someone like Epic for cross buy would be a competitive move though

Possibly the landscape is also changing for Sony.
At the end of the day they will chase the money and competition.
It’s clear heading towards the end of this generation and moving into next, which will have more cross generation releases and for longer than this generation, which will cause issues selling the PS6 and maybe the Xbox/PC Hybrid thing, that Nintendo will end up the only true traditional console player left.

It’s crazy seeing some people meltdown over on PushSquare over this. Like it’s going to kill Sony to have games on more platforms. People are still going to buy PlayStations especially if they are already locked into the ecosystem and it sounds like it will be much cheaper than the next Xbox/PC hybrid. If anything I see PlayStation making more money by expanding.

@ILuvGames
Sonys true console competition is the Switch and Switch 2. Sonys fans always say it is not.
But if the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 did not exist, then those players would probably by a PS5.
So it is by default competitive. Also that’s is Billions of dollars as Nintendo sell lots and lots.

Seems like Sony are creating their OWN PC Platform to compete with Steam, Xbox PC, Epic etc. At the moment Sony are using 3rd Party Apps to release games on PC but I can't see them giving away games on Steam for example.

I expect that they will launch their own 'Playstation PC' Platform that's linked and synced with Playstation Console and if you buy 'digitally' on Playstation Platforms, you get both Playstation PC and Console versions as the Licence is locked to your Playstation account - Pretty much the same as with MS.

The difference being that on PlayStation there are actually things worth playing!

/s

Nexbox can play pc games from steam, gog, epic, etc. So theoretically they're gonna play ps pc ports. Sony is like fcuk that. We'll build our own pc store(..with hookers and slots!) and not allow it to run on the nexbox.

Thanks, Microsoft, for keeping Sony on their toes. It's a win for all gamers across both platforms and PC.

Sony whipped Xbox in the traditional space, now they're gonna steal Microsoft's lunch with PC and Cloud....lol

@VeganH this.

Console war is over, my butt. The only one saying that is Microsoft, just to shove the fact that their first-party games are going to PS5 down Xbox fans’ throats. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sony pulled another shady move like saying, « This platform is not compatible with the PlayStation PC launcher.» when trying to install it on a future Xbox device.

@TheGameThrifter This too. Yeah just like achievements and many other Xbox stuff. Now people always talk about « Trophies ».

@Coletrain here we go with the " they do it better" crap lol. You buy a game it shows up on other devices without paying twice. That's it. Nothing to "do better" stop it

@TheGameThrifter yea while using Microsofts OS and their cloud servers lmao

Cool.

Unless, of course, Sony brings out its own PC launcher and makes all of its games exclusive to it. Are the PlayStation higher-ups that stupid? Time will tell. But what I can already tell you is that if they are that stupid, PC players won't stand for it.

@Xavier1415 I mean that they're more successful when they do something. Not that what they do is technically more advanced. I don't know why they are, I don't personally think they have a better service offering than Xbox, but they just do better out of it when they copy.

So no, you stop it.

As others have said, this is coming "soon" so it's not related to another PS device. If Sony is considering abandoning Steam and starting its own PC store just to prevent the next Xbox from running Sony's games, an idea worthy of the biggest Sony fanboy's dreams, but somehow credible, Sony's going to hit a very thick wall. They would alienate PC players, including those that supported Sony games on Steam.

@VeganH

Nexbox can play pc games from steam, gog, epic, etc. So theoretically they're gonna play ps pc ports. Sony is like fcuk that. We'll build our own pc store(..with hookers and slots!) and not allow it to run on the nexbox.

@Sindayl

Console war is over, my butt. The only one saying that is Microsoft, just to shove the fact that their first-party games are going to PS5 down Xbox fans’ throats. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sony pulled another shady move like saying, « This platform is not compatible with the PlayStation PC launcher.» when trying to install it on a future Xbox device.

I don't see how Sony could launch a PC store/launcher which they would block on Windows PC's with an Xbox branding, unless they would restrict their PC launcher to Linux OS.

Also, if Sony releases a PC launcher, why should they block it on an Xbox-branded gaming PC? It's a PC, so blocking the access to the PC launcher would defeat the point of releasing it on PC. Would they block it also on other devices like the Asus Xbox Rog Ally, Lenovo Legion Go and MSI Claw handhelds if they run Windows in the new "Xbox full screen mode"? It just doesn't make sense, especially since Sony earns 100% from their sold 1st party games and 30% from 3rd party games via the launcher and every user would need to create a PSN account to be able to purchase something. They don't profit from selling console hardware, they profit from selling games, so having the launcher on other devices makes a lot of sense business-wise.

Hypothetical question: If Sony could release a storefront on Xbox Series consoles, where they earn 100% from all transactions via that storefront, do you think they would do it or not?

Wow this could actually give Sony a distinct advantage as Steam is just outright better than the Xbox app in pretty much every way imaginable. Xbox would still have the sizeable head start of course, but Sony could really catch up if the cross buy works through Steam (and supports cross save too, that’s vitally important). Even if it’s just their own proprietary launcher it’s still a clear win for consumers and validates the direction Xbox has been heading in. Cross buy and cross save via Steam would revolutionise gaming, but kinda sounds too good to be true.

@Markatron84

Unless, of course, Sony brings out its own PC launcher and makes all of its games exclusive to it. Are the PlayStation higher-ups that stupid? Time will tell. But what I can already tell you is that if they are that stupid, PC players won't stand for it.

@Banjo-

As others have said, this is coming "soon" so it's not related to another PS device. If Sony is considering abandoning Steam and starting its own PC store just to prevent the next Xbox from running Sony's games, an idea worthy of the biggest Sony fanboy's dreams but somehow credible, Sony's going to hit a very thick wall. They would alienate PC players, including those that supported Sony games on Steam.

Abandoning Steam wouldn't be very unwise, based on how many PC gamers reacted when some games became "time exclusive" to the Epic Games Store. But Sony has been already applying a "time exclusivity" to PlayStation published single-player games for 1-2 years on PC like in the case of Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Stellar Blade, Death Stranding 1/2 and God of War Ragnarok. They could continue that practice on Steam and Epic Games Store, and release games day 1 on PC via their own proprietary store/launcher where they earn 100% for 1st party games. Usually the marketing buzz and hype is the highest around the launch of a game, so it makes sense to use that moment to launch on as many devices as possible.

@TrollOfWar they could do that, but I imagine it'll go the same way for them as it did for other publishers who, for example, released games with a 12 month exclusivity window on Epic; the majority of players said "ew, Epic?" and snubbed the game until it released on Steam. There's a reason Ubisoft came crawling back to Steam.

Sony needs to cotton on quick that if it's going to continue to release its games on PC, it's going to have to bend to the whims of the audience, not the other way around. This isn't a closed ecosystem that Sony owns and can dictate where and how people play. Again, PC players won't stand for it.

@themightyant

Sony would get less revenue from their games and Sony would be perceived poorly. It would likely be a win for Xbox.

I can only imagine what shareholders would say if Sony would intentionally block their own launcher on Xbox branded devices.

Shareholders: Why isn't the PS launcher available on Xbox PCs? It's lost revenue.

Sony Spokesperson: Our hardcore PlayStation fanbase didn't allow us.

😄

Was only a matter of time. Sony would've been fools to not follow suit.

@Markatron84 I understand your point. But the way I see it, at the moment Sony is already giving that treatment to Steam players where they delay PC releases to get players to buy their games on the PlayStation store. They would stop doing that if it hurts their business that much. A proprietary PC launcher would extend the PlayStation platform (including additional active PSN accounts).

@TrollOfWar most of Sony’s gaming income comes from third party games sold on their store, so giving console players the option not to be forced into buying a PS anymore or even worse, watching PlayStation gamers switch to a more open console that lets them play more games (including PS exclusives) than on a PlayStation, would be really bad for them.

Anyway, the Xbox brand is so screwed right now and the PlayStation brand is seen as the cool one to such an extent that Sony knows the chances of them losing their monopoly at this point are thinner than thin… Whatever Xbox does.

@fatpunkslim they can always start releasing them on their pc store day one and a year after on steam and epic as they do now