New PlayStation PC port sparks PS5 mockery among gamers
The newly official confirmation that Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is getting a PC port has sparked mockery of the PlayStation 5 among some gamers, who have taken to the internet to reminisce about a prominent marketing campaign for the console that they feel has aged very poorly. Sony announced the PC version of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart earlier today, stating that the port will launch on July 26th.
Despite the fact that the PS5 is closing in on three these days, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart remains their only truly “next-gen” game. Sony wasn’t planning for this to happen, but ultimately decided to continue supporting the PS4 with cross-gen releases after pandemic-induced semiconductor shortages prevented it from meeting global demand for the PS5. The latest installment in the Ratchet and Clank series had already been released by the time the strategic shift happened, with Sony using Rift Apart to aggressively market PS5 SSD storage in the run-up to the game’s release.
Since then, the Japanese company has not only discontinued its single-platform-focused approach, but has also committed to PlayStation PC ports in a big way. However, some gamers aren’t willing to let Sony ignore its 2020 claims that the latest Ratchet and Clank game was only made possible by PS5 hardware. Shortly after today’s announcement of the Rift Apart PC port, “PS5 SSD” started trending on Twitter, with hundreds of people recalling claims that the game’s dimension hope mechanic demonstrates the solid state drive’s unique capabilities. from the console.
While many just scoffed at the 2020 marketing jargon regarding the PS5’s storage technology, others used today’s announcement as an opportunity to highlight how the console is in an unenviable position, content-wise; not only has Sony’s cross-gen support prevented true system sellers from materializing, but the arrival of Rift Apart on PC means that the PS5 has now really started to lose what few exclusives it has.
As Sony chose to omit the Rift Apart PC port from its latest PlayStation Showcase only to announce it six days later, it’s plausible that the company anticipated these reactions. After all, the May 24 event has already been criticized by the fandom for not having original exclusives. Given how many PlayStation Showcase 2023 games are coming to Xbox, it’s likely Sony didn’t want to bolster that argument by announcing the PC version of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart during the stream.
While this hasn’t been the best month for Sony’s marketing department, PlayStation 5 owners still have plenty to look forward to in the near future, starting with some high-profile exclusives like Final Fantasy 16 and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. The Japanese company is also rumored to be planning another PlayStation Showcase for the second half of 2023, which will likely offer a glimpse into the PS5 game lineup planned for 2024.