PlayStation 5 is over a year old, and Sony has so far released several first-party games for the console. Some are cross-generation titles, while others are only available on the PlayStation 5. Some of Sony’s most significant new releases, such as Gran Turismo 7, Horizon Forbidden West, and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, are available on PS4 and PS5.
The highly-anticipated God of War Ragnarok is also a cross-gen game, resulting in many users questioning whether it will take full advantage of the PS5 hardware. Games like Demon’s Souls, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Returnal are only available on PS5, and it seems like titles released after 2022 will only come out on the new console. A leak now suggests that one major PlayStation 5 exclusive game will release on Steam.
A SteamDB page reveals that Returnal is scheduled to release on Steam. The tags for this app, such as Bullet Hell, Sci-Fi, and Female Protagonist, match Returnal’s description, and the Localization page all but confirms this leak. It features references to Atropos, the alien planet Returnal takes place on, and Selene’s ship named Helios. Additionally, fans can find the words Tower of Sisyphus, which refers to the newly added endless mode released with the Returnal: Ascension update.
Returnal’s release on PC was a part of the massive GeForce Now list that leaked several games in development. Many games from this leak, such as Kingdom Hearts 4, have been confirmed, so there is little reason to doubt that Returnal will release on PC at some point. It also matches Sony’s strategy of releasing first-party games on PC after a year or two, presumably to maximize sales on both platforms. It should be noted that PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members can play Returnal at no extra cost when the service launches in their region.
Many considered Returnal to be one of the best games of 2021. It was nominated for several awards at the end of the year, with praise given to its combat, visual style, and the overall difficulty. Sony Interactive Entertainment acquired developer Housemarque shortly after its release. The studio released a free update in April 2022, Returnal: Ascension, adding online co-op and the above-mentioned endless challenge mode to the game.
Sony recently revealed sales figures for its PC releases. Horizon Zero Dawn sold 2.39 million units on PC, with Days Gone selling 852K and God of War sitting at 971K. It’ll not be surprising to see Returnal also be successful on PC, although its sales numbers will likely be lower than Sony’s marquee franchises.
Returnal is now available on PS5.
Source: SteamDB
