One of PlayStation’s greatest strengths is its wide catalog of exclusive titles, ranging from 2005’sGod of Warto the relatively recentHorizon Forbidden West. By having these games available exclusively on PlayStation consoles, it encourages people to purchase these consoles to play these acclaimed titles. However, some exclusive titles have been ported to PC in recent years, includingHorizon Forbidden West, to allow a greater range of players to experience these games' expansive worlds and captivating gameplay. With rumors of the upcoming PlayStation 5-exclusiveAstro Botcoming to PC in the near future, PC players may once again be able to play through another PlayStation game.
PlayStation Games Like Horizon: Forbidden West Have Found Success on PC
For most of PlayStation’s lifetime, console exclusives have remained locked to the consoles they initially released on. While many exclusives would be remastered or remade in later console generations, such as theGod of War Collectionand theKingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remixon PS3, exclusive games wouldn’t be ported to PC en masse until the PS4 generation. As PC gaming became increasingly popular in the mid to late 2010s, the number of console-exclusive ports to the platform also increased. While it often took several years for games to be ported to PC after their initial console release, many were eventually brought to PC, such asHorizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition,2018’sGod of War, andDays Gone.
By the time the PS5 debuted in 2020, many PlayStation exclusives had already been released on PC and this trend only increased throughout the PS5’s generation. Landmark hits fromGhost of Tsushima Director’s Cut,Helldivers 2,Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and even new games such asConcordcan already be bought on PC. However, not every exclusive has been ported to PC with many fan favorites still locked to their console platforms, such asBloodborne, 2018’sShadow of the Colossus, and 2020’sDemon’s Souls. Despite this, many more exclusives are already expected to be released on PC soon, includingGod of War Ragnarökandthe upcomingUntil Dawnremake.
Astro Bot’s PC Potential and Beyond
Four games for theAstro Botseries have been released so far, includingThe PlayRoom,The PlayRoom VR,Astro Bot Rescue Missionfor the PS4’s PS VR, andAstro’s Playroom,which is pre-loaded on every PS5console. None of these games have been ported to PC yet, nor hasThe PlayRoom VRorAstro Bot Rescue Missionbeen ported to the PS VR2. The fifth entry in theAstroseries, simply titledAstro Bot, will be released on September 6th exclusively for PS5, but there is potential for the game to be released on PC after its initial console debut.
According to a recent interview with the independent games media outlet MinnMax,Astro Bot’s creative director, Nicolas Doucet, claimed that he and other developers from Team ASOBI want to hear from PC players about the possibility of the game releasing on PC. While there are no plans forAstro Botto release on PC currently, it could come to PC in later months or even years later. It tookHorizon Forbidden Westtwo years from its initial 2022 console debut to release on PC, so it could take a while forAstro Botto come to PC even if it’s successful.
Potential Ports of Prior Astro Bot Games
IfAstro Botis successful and receives an eventual PC release, Sony and Team ASOBI could potentially work on furtherports of the previousAstro Botgames. Team ASOBI could work on portingThe PlayRoom VRandRescue Missionto PSVR2 or other PC VR platforms such as the Meta Quest. Likewise, Team ASOBI could potentially portAstro’s Playroomto PC as well. All of these ports could help new PC players become fans of the series and lead to more future PlayStation sales, just asHorizon Zero DawnandHorizon Forbidden Westports have done before.
