According to IGN, Stellar Blade has become PlayStation’s “best-selling exclusive launch IP in history” on PC, selling over 1 million copies in just three days and reaching 3 million total across both PS5 and PC platforms. The game boasts an “overwhelmingly positive” 98% recommendation rate on Steam, eclipsing previous PlayStation hits like Ghost of Tsushima and God of War in peak concurrent users. Meanwhile, Alinea Analytics research reveals Sony has made an astonishing $1.5 billion from Steam since bringing first-party titles to PC, with Valve itself pocketing around $350 million from its 30% cut. However, the same analysis shows sequels like God of War Ragnarök are dramatically underperforming compared to their predecessors—selling 2.5 times fewer copies than the original God of War when launch-aligned. Helldivers 2 remains Sony’s undisputed PC champion with an estimated 12.7 million copies sold.
The PC party might be winding down
Here’s the thing about novelty—it doesn’t last forever. The Alinea Analytics report suggests exactly that, noting “the novelty is wearing off” for PlayStation games on PC. Think about it: when Horizon Zero Dawn first hit Steam, it was revolutionary for PC gamers who’d been watching PlayStation exclusives from the sidelines for years. But now? Most of Sony’s major franchises have already made the jump. The audience that was desperate to play these games has largely been served.
And the numbers don’t lie. God of War sold 2.5 million copies in its first 427 days on Steam, while Ragnarök managed less than half that in the same timeframe. Only 13% of God of War’s Steam players even bothered with the sequel on the same platform. That’s a massive drop-off. It suggests that while PC gamers were happy to catch up on PlayStation classics they missed, they’re not necessarily committed to following every new release.
Stellar Blade’s surprising success story
So why is Stellar Blade breaking records when the broader trend looks concerning? Timing probably plays a huge role. As a brand new IP, it didn’t have the baggage of previous console exclusivity that might make PC gamers feel like they’re getting leftovers. It launched simultaneously as a fresh experience for everyone. Plus, Shift Up went all-in on PC-specific features—DLSS 4, ultrawide support, higher resolution textures. They treated the PC version as a premium experience, not an afterthought.
But let’s be real—Helldivers 2’s 12.7 million copies absolutely dwarfs everything else. That game’s success is in a different universe entirely, proving that simultaneous multiplatform releases with strong multiplayer components can achieve what single-player ports simply can’t. The question is whether Sony can replicate that magic or if Helldivers 2 was just a perfect storm.
What this means for gamers and Sony
For PC gamers, this might actually be good news. If Sony sees diminishing returns from porting older exclusives, they might shift strategy toward more day-one PC releases. That would mean less waiting around for games that everyone already knows about. But it could also mean Sony becomes more selective about which games even get PC ports at all.
The bigger picture? Sony’s $1.5 billion Steam revenue is nothing to sneeze at, but the trendline matters more than the total. If sequels keep underperforming, the business case for bringing every PlayStation exclusive to PC weakens significantly. Basically, the easy money from porting established classics might be drying up, and Sony will need to rethink how they approach the PC market going forward. Will they go all-in on simultaneous releases? Or pull back? Your move, Sony.
