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For just a short time now, Microsoft has embraced the PC platform with giant, hearty bearhugs. Microsoft has released, and plans to release, a number of their first-party Xbox titles on the PC via Steam and the Windows 10 Store. The biggest push for the PC platform from Microsoft came from the launch of the Xbox Game Pass for PC. Though still technically in beta, Game Pass for PC has already offered up a number of titles for a fairly low monthly fee.
Now, it seems like Sony might be following suit. Perhaps seeing just how well it has worked out for Microsoft, a new rumor from Kotaku suggests that Horizon: Zero Dawn will be coming to the PC in 2020. Again, we normally don't post too many rumors here unless they have some credibility behind them. This particular rumor comes from Jason Schreier, who tends to have accurate information as it pertains to leaks like this.
Horizon: Zero Dawn came out as a PlayStation 4 exclusive in early 2017. The game was quite successful with critics and commercially. It was developed for the PS4 from Sony's own Guerrilla Games. In 2020, it might see new life on the PC if the suggestions from "three people familiar with Sony's plans" are to be believed.
According to Kotaku's report, Horizon: Zero Dawn will hit both Steam and the Epic Games Store when it launches. However, they are quick to note that these plans "may not be finalized yet." So, be prepared in case there is some "timed exclusivity" shenanigans that wind up happening. If and when this happens, this will make for the first showing of Guerrilla Games on a non-PlayStation platform since 2004's release of Shellshock: Nam '67 which came out on Windows, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.
This will also be a real showcase for the game itself and the proprietary Decima game engine. Horizon: Zero Dawn was locked to 30fps on Sony's console. It wouldn't be a stretch to assume that we will be able to see much higher framerate and resolutions when the PC release hits. Keep in mind that Decima is also the engine powering Death Stranding, another title confirmed to get a PC release in Summer 2020. It could very well be a case where the work done to bring Decima to the PC for Death Stranding paved the way for other Decima powered games to be ported over more easily.
As Kotaku notes, every single game that has been funded and developed by Sony since the launch of the PlayStation 1 in 1994 has been exclusive to the PlayStation platform. The only exception here would be the PC-focused MMO's such as EverQuest.
It's hard to anticipate where Sony will go from here if and when Horizon is released on PC. It would be nice if they embraced the PC platform as much as Microsoft is doing with day and date releases of their first-party titles, but that is still perhaps a distant dream. Now with all that said: Where is that Bloodborne PC release at, Sony? Give me that 60fps goodness and an option to turn off that abysmal chromatic aberration and I'll be thrilled.
