Following weeks of rumors regarding Horizon Zero Dawn and its jump to PC, Sony Worldwide Studios president Hermen Hulst confirmed that the title would no longer be exclusive to PlayStation 4 come this summer. This may have caused a bit of outcry against the move, but Hulst did reassure fans that just because one AAA game from a first-party studio was coming to PC, this doesn’t mean that all of them will receive the same treatment. However, when it comes to why the move is happening to begin with, it may have had something to do with Microsoft and how they are becoming more inclusive between Xbox and PC.
Speaking with GamingBolt, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter explained why he thinks Sony opened up to bringing a AAA title like Horizon Zero Dawn to PC. “I think Sony is hopeful that the PlayStation audience will continue to buy consoles and buy their first-party titles, but they recognize that there is a market beyond console software sales,” Pachter said.
When asked if Microsoft’s positioning as of late has anything to do with PS4 exclusives becoming no longer exclusive, Pachter noted that he believes so. “Yes, I think Microsoft’s positioning prompted Sony to follow suit,” he said.
This, of course, would lead many to believe that console exclusivity could be nearing an end in the somewhat near future. With Microsoft placing more of a focus on PC gaming than ever, and Sony now releasing PlayStation exclusives on PC, it could be interesting times ahead. Pachter even mentioned how it may become more difficult to land third-party exclusives moving forward. “Yes, I think third party exclusives are going to be tough to sign up, but I expect continued acquisitions to beef up first-party capability,” he said.
It’s unknown at this time what all of this means for the future and console exclusivity, but in the meantime, Horizon Zero Dawn is available on PlayStation 4, with a PC release set for summer 2020. In case you don’t know what to expect out of Aloy’s incredible journey, here’s more:
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