PC gamers in countries without PlayStation Network have expressed their frustration at Sony after the confirmation they cannot buy single-player games God of War Ragnarok and Until Dawn on Steam.
Sony announced the PC ports of both PlayStation games during its State of Play May 2024 showcase, and confirmed they require a PSN account to play. This message is reiterated on the Steam page for both games. Unfortunately, this means God of War Ragnarok and Until Dawn are unavailable on Steam in regions in which PSN is not live.
While it has now become clear that all Sony’s PC games will require a PSN account to play after the Helldivers 2 debacle in April and, more recently, a furore over the PSN requirement for the multiplayer portion of Ghost of Tsushima, some had hoped single-player only games would be spared. Not so.
PSN is available in just 69 countries, leaving many out in the cold. The Baltics, including states that are part of the European Union (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), are also excluded. For years, some players in these countries have created a PSN in a supported region to get around the restrictions, but there are concerns that Sony could ban the accounts of those who do. Exacerbating the backlash is that Sony has doubled down on this policy even for single-player games, such as God of War Ragnarok and Until Dawn.
Thanks @PlayStationEU https://t.co/zFQ6GMUzVG pic.twitter.com/0NpiM5PTlv
— Pavel Djundik (@thexpaw) May 31, 2024
This is very odd. I understood Helldivers 2 or Ghost of Tsushima because of the online side of things but why God of War Ragnarok?
— Abhi Jha (GaminMadness) (@GaminMadness97) May 31, 2024
This game doesn't have an online component.
Why do you need a PSN ID for this? https://t.co/Ku3ayqB3se
God of war Ragnarok will require a PSN account. Oh lawd lol pic.twitter.com/MP5KiJtq7t
— Mightykeef (@MightyKeef) May 30, 2024
Adding frustration, Sony has yet to comment with fans on this latest decision. When it announced the PSN requirement for Helldivers 2, it said it had to do with player security. “Account linking plays a critical role in protecting our players and upholding the values of safety and security provided on PlayStation and PlayStation Studios games,” Sony said in a statement issued at the time. “This is our main way to protect players from griefing and abuse by enabling the banning of players that engage in that type of behavior. It also allows those players that have been banned the right to appeal.”
Perhaps bracing itself for a backlash it knew was to come, Sony said: “We understand that while this may be an inconvenience to some of you, this step will help us to continue to build a community that you are all proud to be a part of. “Many thanks for your continued support of Helldivers 2!”
Sony’s only other statement on the matter was issued when it backtracked for Helldivers 2: “Helldivers fans -- we’ve heard your feedback on the Helldivers 2 account linking update. The May 6 update, which would have required Steam and PlayStation Network account linking for new players and for current players beginning May 30, will not be moving forward.
“We’re still learning what is best for PC players and your feedback has been invaluable. Thanks again for your continued support of Helldivers 2 and we’ll keep you updated on future plans.”
The PC version of Ghost of Tsushima was the first PlayStation PC port from PlayStation Studios to use the new PlayStation Overlay. This UI, which you can see in the image below, lets users access their PlayStation profile, including their Friends List and Trophies.
This week, Sony Interactive Entertainment’s newly appointed co-CEO Hermen Hulst indicated Sony’s strategy is to entice PC gamers into buying a PlayStation 5 using console-exclusive sequels.
"Indeed, we are bringing our titles to the PC platform and we have a dual approach here," Hulst said during Sony's Business Segment Meeting 2024. While live service games such as Helldivers 2 and Concord will launch on PC at the same time as PS5, “tentpole titles”, such as triple-A single-player games, will continue to see a staggered release on PC.
"We're finding new audiences that are potentially going to be very interested in playing sequels on the PlayStation platform," Hulst added. "We have high hopes that we're actually able to bring new players into PlayStation at large but into PlayStation platforms specifically - actually, the same goals for the work that we do with extending our great properties onto other media such as television series and film, for example, as you have seen with the Last of Us on HBO or Gran Turismo the film."
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
