Oh, yes: God of War is coming to PC
Oh, yes: God of War is coming to PC
Now all we want - nay, need - is Gran Turismo, Sony!
Confirming yet another rumor that was doing the rounds on the Web since spring, Sony announced that one of the best video games of the PS4 generation - and possibly one of the best PlayStation games ever - God of War, will be available for PC on January 14, 2022. It’s the third AAA Sony production that makes the transition to personal computers after Days Gone and Horizon: Zero Dawn, both of which made decent sales despite a rocky start due to technical issues. It's not the only famous PlayStation game launching on PC in the next few months either, as the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection (comprising of Uncharted 4 and standalone adventure The Lost Legacy) is also due for release in Q1 2022.
The PC version of God of War will be available both on Steam and the Epic Games Store with a few digital extras that were not part of the initial PS4 offering. Far more important to PC gamers, though, is the fact that Sony seems to have gone the extra mile with this one. Apart from the settings and options expected on the Windows platform - such as redefinable keyboard controls, full controller support, 21:9 ultra-widescreen support and unlocked framerate - God of War on PC offers support for nVidia's DLSS tech, allowing for higher framerates by lowering its graphics fidelity slightly, as well as support of nVidia's Reflex low-latency input tech (one of around 20 PC games to do so), allowing for lighting-quick and precise control.
It's not clear whether Sony's Santa Monica Studio itself is responsible for porting GoW from PS4 to PC or whether a third party handled it, but the company promises "true 4K resolution graphics plus a wide range of graphical presets and options so gamers can fine-tune their visual experience based on their setup". "From higher resolution shadows and improved screen-space reflections", the announcement notes, "to enhancements in the ambient occlusion pipeline with GTAO/SSDO, God of War on the PC can create striking visual quality unique to the platform". Nice!
In many ways God of War is the perfect PlayStation game to be brought across to the PC world: not only is its overall quality unquestioned, but its gameplay style is one rarely offered by traditional computer game publishers. There's a small number of PC games that went for that "console feel" over the years, but few actually nail it - and Sony seems intent on delivering the original PS4 experience while improving on the technical aspects of it. Frankly, this is exactly what PC gamers are asking for anyway.
With Horizon, Uncharted and God of War all now confirmed or already out for PC, which AAA PS4 franchise comes next? Sony is clearly keen on reaching more players than ever going forward and offering selected PlayStation titles to PC gamers is one of the most effective ways to achieve that. The company still seems to feel that it's better to do that with older megahits, though, rather than with more recent ones, so maybe The Last of Us Part II or Ghost of Tsushima (which were also rumored along with God of War) won't follow anytime soon. A Sony-published PS4 game belonging to From Software that's almost constantly mentioned from various sources as coming to PC (and to PS5 as a remaster) is, of course, Bloodborne, but until there's definite evidence of that happening, we can only hope.
One Sony title that would be more than welcome at any time, though, is Gran Turismo, even if there's no shortage of good racing games on PC: the signature Polyphohy Digital attention to detail and obsession with realistic car control would make for a truly notable PC racer. The only problem is: it can't be Gran Turismo 7, which will be out for PS4/PS5 in March, but it also can't be 2016's GT Sport, as it would truly seem like PC gamers are treated as second-class citizens. But... how about a seriously upgraded, all-content inclusive PC version of GT Sport "Special Edition" that offers cross-play with GT7? Now that would not be bad at all, would it?