For Soren, the new Steam name PlayStation PC is a clear sign of how important we PC gamers have become for manufacturers.

For many years we PC gamers only had the envious look over into the PlayStation warehouse when reports were made about the grandiose exclusive titles for Sony’s console. What an unforgettable adventure Kratos shared a trip with his son in God of War. How many tears did you shed when Joel chooses Ellie in The Last of Us. And how breathtaking the colorful landscapes of Tsushima Island look when Jin sets off on his horse to the next Mongol camp in Ghost of Tsushima.

All small pinpricks in the hearts of PC gamers who also want good single-player blockbusters. But the PlayStation PC label on Steam, which recently appeared on Steam, is a clear sign that Sony belongs to us – and that the PC is no longer the fifth wheel on the platform car.

Update from November 2, 2021: Based on information from Sony’s PR department, we have revised the article slightly to make it clear that PlayStation PC does not necessarily have to be a new department in the company, but also a simple name change can be on Steam. Nevertheless, we stick to the statement of the column: The fact that PlayStation recognizes the PC so officially is an important step.

Sony discovered the PC for itself

When we finally got to enjoy the open-world adventure Horizon: Zero Dawn last year, many PC gamers were still skeptical as to whether this port wasn’t just a flash in the pan. The list of titles that you absolutely want to see on your home computer was too long, and why should Sony take this effort in terms of time and money when with the PlayStation you have a highly successful platform over which you have full control Has?

But Sony, as we will have seen in Japan, is not only allowed to look at the current situation but has some catching up to do with regard to the future. Not only have games changed a lot in the last decade, but so have the players. They are now less and less lured by exclusive titles, but prefer to have a free choice of the platform – and ironically reward this freedom with brand loyalty and a benevolent attitude towards the manufacturer.

Microsoft recognized this years ago and consequently adapted its strategy to this development. Windows and Xbox now belong to one family, the Game Pass acts as a convenient bridge between the two platforms. Features like crossplay and save are also finding their way into more and more games that come directly from Redmond.

As a result, the Xbox brand is better off today than it was a few years ago, when people were still licking their wounds after the debacle of the Xbox One launch ( TV, TV, TV! ), And at the same time the PC was strengthened as a gaming platform. You just pick everyone up, and that goes down well these days – and rightly so in my opinion.

Now Sony, as the second major manufacturer, has to follow suit in order not to lose touch (we are ignoring Nintendo at this point because they traditionally cook their own soup and rely on their large fan base and nostalgia). So Sony’s mention of PlayStation PC is a big step towards opening up its own platform and developing a new fan base.

However, it is unclear whether the group has actually founded a new department for this or whether it is simply a name change from the previously listed name “PlayStation Mobile”. If you click on the publisher’s name on Steam, you will still end up at the overview page of PlayStation Studios.

But even if it’s just a simple name change, the external effect is still unmistakable. GameStar editor-in-chief Heiko Klinge predicted at the end of last year that the platform boundaries will continue to blur in 2021.

PC gamers are valued again

Because that is also clear, this new fan base on the PC also goes hand in hand with a further source of income. In the past, when the train was still pulled by donkeys and airplanes in the sky made you run into the house screaming, this appreciation of the PC would have been unthinkable.

In this obscure past, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were the big players with sales in the millions and the home computer was the unloved child who was also so snotty and dared to ask for porting. Ports! For the pc! Do you still have words ?!

Accordingly, innumerable implementations turned out to be unkind. Additional graphic features? Nothing. Functional anti-aliasing to get rid of the ugly flicker? How could we PC gamers ask for such a thing! Why weren’t we just happy with the bugs that were even given us free of charge as a bonus through sloppy ports like Resident Evil 4?

Seriously: today’s ports play in a completely different league. Yes, Horizon had technical deficiencies when it was released, but the adventure on the PC also looked better and offered contemporary setting options.

So Sony is showing the courage to leave the comfort zone it has created itself and at the same time signals that we PC gamers are finally being perceived as serious – and affluent – consumers for whom the effort of porting is worthwhile. So it should only be a matter of time before Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us and Co. also make their PC debut.

The often ideological boundaries between the platforms are likely to be further softened as a result. Hopefully, this will ensure that one day we can indulge our favorite hobby without restrictions on the platform of our choice. Thanks for that, Sony!