Sony has made a significant change to its strategy for PC gamers, announcing that players will no longer need to link a PlayStation Network (PSN) account to enjoy some of its popular titles. This shift was detailed in a recent PlayStation.Blog post, with the change taking effect starting with the PC release of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 tomorrow. This decision comes after feedback from the gaming community, who expressed frustration with the previous requirement. The affected titles now include Marvel's Spider-Man 2, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, God of War Ragnarök, and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. It remains uncertain how this change will affect other single-player-focused PC ports like Until Dawn or Days Gone.
Despite dropping the mandatory PSN account linking, Sony is keen on encouraging PC gamers to join its online ecosystem by offering enticing incentives for those who choose to connect their accounts. These perks include early unlocks for suits in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, as well as resource bundles for games such as God of War Ragnarök. Here’s a rundown of the announced PC incentives:
PlayStation in-game content incentives on PC:
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 - Early unlock suits: the Spider-Man 2099 Black Suit and the Miles Morales 2099 Suit.
God of War Ragnarök - Gain access to the Armor of the Black Bear set for Kratos at the first Lost Items chest in the Realm Between Realms (previously only accessible in a New Game+ run) and a resource bundle (500 Hacksilver and 250 XP).
The Last of Us Part II Remastered - +50 points to activate bonus features and unlock extras. Jordan’s Jacket from Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet as a skin for Ellie.
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered - Gain access to Nora Valiant outfit.
Sony has also teased that it will collaborate further with developers within the PlayStation Studios to introduce additional benefits for players who opt for a PSN account. While there's no word yet on whether other PC games in Sony's library will follow suit in dropping the PSN requirement, the company has reassured users that connecting an account offers additional advantages like trophy support and friend management.
The response to PlayStation's foray into PC gaming has been varied. While many gamers are thrilled to access previously console-exclusive titles, the mandatory PSN account linking faced criticism, especially from players in regions where PSN services are unavailable. This issue came to a head with the Helldivers 2 community last May when PlayStation announced that Steam users would need to connect a PSN account. However, following significant backlash, the company reversed its decision within days.
