Helldivers 2 PS5 and PC simultaneous launch is a big success for Sony
Helldivers 2 has surpassed God of War to become the most concurrently played Sony game on Steam
Helldivers 2 has landed on PS5 and PC, and it’s proven to be a smash hit for Sony despite players encountering the usual teething issues that seem to accompany the launch of every live service title.
Despite a ‘mixed’ reception rating on Steam, the game exceeded 81,000 concurrent players and beat the previous record held by God of War, which attracted 73,000 concurrent players. It means Helldivers 2 is the biggest-ever game launch on Steam for Sony, and its success could potentially influence the company’s future strategy.
Currently, Sony releases its PS5 exclusive on PC at a later date, often asking players to double dip or wait patiently for a port. PC players are still waiting for ports of some of the best PS5 games, including Gran Turismo 7, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and God of War Ragnarok, but there’s no guarantee these will come.
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Helldivers 2 success
😲 Helldivers 2 is off to a great start on PC
👽 It’s toppled God of War Ragnarok’s concurrent player count record on Steam
👍 It’s one of the few times a PlayStation Studios game has launched day-and-date on PC and PS5
🤷♂️ Its success could influence Sony to release its games quicker on PC
Helldivers 2’s success could tempt Sony into releasing more games on PC the same day as PS5, particularly games that utilize cross-play and are live service in nature. The more players live service titles can attract at launch, the more likelihood it has of succeeding.
Unlike Sony, Microsoft began releasing its first-party titles on Xbox and PC on the same day and date in 2017, but this led some to question whether they needed an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S console if they had a capable PC.
This debate will only grow ever louder if Microsoft brings Xbox exclusives to PS5, which is strongly rumored to take place. However, PlayStation fans shouldn’t celebrate that news so readily.
To boost revenue, Sony eventually started porting select titles to PC but has remained committed to the strategy of launching its exclusive games at a later date. It’s clear that Sony has taken caution to avoid a similar conversation occurring regarding the need to own a PS5 if you have a powerful enough gaming PC, but there’s money to be made that it can’t afford to miss out on.
To Sony’s credit, you can enjoy the features of the PS5 DualSense controller and PS5 DualSense Edge on your PC if you connect via USB. Certain games have haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support, giving you a PS5-like experience in titles like Helldivers 2.
The next PlayStation Studios title to launch on PS5 is Horizon Forbidden West, with The Last of Us 2 Remastered to follow.