Are PC Ports For Games Killing Console Exclusives?
The current generation of gaming consoles is marked by significant developments beyond just the games themselves. There’s a notable focus on high-resolution graphical fidelity alongside advancements in game streaming, distribution diversity, and intellectual property (IP) strategies. However, one aspect that stands out, particularly for future generations, is Microsoft’s departure from the concept of console exclusives.
Microsoft has embraced accessibility by allowing its first-party titles to be accessed on PC and through Game Pass. However, Sony has been less forthcoming. It has shown increased interest in the PC market. This is evident as they established a dedicated Steam page and acquired a studio specializing in porting games to PC. While Sony has been involved in PC ports for some time, recent developments have sparked discussions about their intentions and strategies.
Challenges and Disappointments in PC Ports
PC ports continue to disappoint, tarnishing the experience of highly anticipated games for PC players. Despite developers’ efforts to provide patches and fixes post-release, the dissatisfaction among the PC community remains. This raises questions about the value of purchasing games directly upon release for PC gamers.
Console games often encounter numerous issues when ported to PC, leading to disappointment among PC gamers. This is primarily due to several reasons.
Firstly, the development focus is typically on the console version, with PC optimization as a secondary consideration. This can result in poorly optimized ports struggling to exploit PC hardware capabilities.
Additionally, the complexity of PC hardware configurations poses a significant challenge. Unlike consoles with standardized hardware, PCs vary greatly in components, leading to compatibility issues and difficulties in ensuring smooth performance across various systems.
Moreover, the porting process itself can be challenging. Converting a game designed for specific console hardware to run efficiently on diverse PC setups requires significant time and resources. Rushed or insufficiently tested ports may result in bugs, crashes, and performance problems.
Furthermore, differences in input methods and user interfaces between consoles and PCs can lead to subpar experiences for PC players. Poorly adapted controls and interfaces can detract from the game's overall enjoyment.
Issues with Some Sony Games on the PC
Sony began exploring the idea of bringing its acclaimed first-party titles to PC, starting with Horizon Zero Dawn in 2020. However, this shift wasn’t without its challenges. The PC port of Horizon Zero Dawn faced criticism for its subpar performance, crashes, and poor optimization despite some players having hardware exceeding the recommended requirements.
Even six months after its release, issues persisted, with Digital Foundry reporting bugs related to various graphical elements and character animations. Despite these problems, Horizon Zero Dawn proved successful on PC, selling over 700,000 copies in its first month alone. This success encouraged Sony to commission more PC ports, including titles like Days Gone and God of War (2018).
However, these subsequent ports encountered similar issues. Days Gone, handled in-house by Bend Studio, initially faced criticism for stuttering, lack of HDR support, controller and mouse issues, and crashes. While Bend Studio addressed some of these problems, Sony sought more long-term solutions to ensure better quality in future PC ports.
The recent PC port of The Last of Us Part 1 has garnered significant criticism for its poor quality. Many players have been experiencing crashes, long shader compilation times, visual glitches, and other issues. Despite some hotfixes released by Naughty Dog, the problems persist, leading to mixed reviews on platforms like Steam.
This situation raises questions about how such a revered franchise could suffer from such a problematic PC port. Given The Last of Us’ status as one of Sony’s flagship franchises, the issues with the port are surprising.
One factor could be Sony’s recognition of the success of Microsoft’s Xbox titles on PC, prompting them to tap into the PC gaming market. This move may indicate a shift in Sony’s strategy towards acknowledging the significance of the PC platform.
What Makes a Bad PC Port?
A “bad port” refers to a console-exclusive game poorly optimized or adapted for release on PC. The most glaring issue with a wrong port is usually performance-related, manifesting in low or inconsistent frame rates, even on high-end systems. Also, bad ports often suffer from various visual and gameplay bugs. This disrupts immersion and sometimes prevents players from progressing through the game.
Another common problem with bad ports is inadequate control optimization. Some games, such as Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, may be unplayable with a keyboard and mouse due to issues like joystick dead zones being incorrectly implemented in mouse movement, making it difficult to control the camera smoothly.
It’s important to note that not all games developed initially for consoles are ports. Understanding the differences between ports remakes, remasters, and reboots can help clarify the nature of a game’s release and its intended purpose.
Will PC Ports Improve?
Console technology is no doubt advancing and approaching mid-range computers’ capabilities. Therefore, developers may find creating games that perform well on both platforms increasingly feasible.
The growing demand for console games among PC gamers has led to an uptick in console-to-PC ports. With this trend, there is hope that developers will prioritize creating games optimized for both console and PC platforms. This approach could reduce headaches for everyone involved in the gaming industry, including developers, players, investors, and other stakeholders.
Some games just aren’t made for PC
The most frequently complained-about PC ports are typically the older titles. Those games were designed for systems with less power than now.
It will be challenging to envision a time when the phrase “bad PC port” is nonexistent as long as console games are being developed without consideration for PCs and deadlines are exceedingly strict.
The Death of PC Games
This has been a subject of discussion for the past few weeks, with port after port arriving on PC in terrible conditions. Although PC gaming is still alive and well, if this pattern keeps up, it’s challenging to suggest getting any new titles before they get a slew of unavoidable patches.
We wish there were a single fix for all PC games’ issues, but that’s impossible as it is a long list. However, there is one area of concentration where consoles still have an advantage over PCs, which might significantly improve the situation.
PC ports have evolved from being afterthoughts to setting the standard, and as a result, we’re more critical of their shortcomings than ever before. Despite modern consoles resembling PCs, developers still face significant challenges ensuring smooth PC releases.
While some issues from 2023 may persist in 2024 and beyond, there’s hope they will gradually diminish over time.
The increasing availability of PlayStation exclusives on PC has led some to question the value proposition of consoles. Some argue that PC ports diminish the value of exclusives or make consoles unnecessary.
The availability of games on PC alongside consoles does not fundamentally impact the console market. Microsoft has successfully navigated this landscape for years, with games performing well on both platforms. Ultimately, the value of consoles lies with the consumer base. The availability of PC games simply provides players with more options without detracting from the console experience.
The dream scenario is for games to launch on PC with excellent performance from day one. While we’re not quite there yet, it’s a goal worth striving for.