Why Success of Horizon Forbidden West on PC Is Important For The Franchise

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Abdullah Waseem

At HI Digital I test and write about different hardware configurations to show other PC users what they can expect from their build. My end goal is to educate the masses to make the right decision when they are looking for new PC parts to buy

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Sony recently launched Horizon Forbidden West on PC to a great reception from the audience. While it hasn’t been a record maker like its predecessor, it is going to be very important for the franchise going forward.

Guerrilla Games is expanding the IP further with a multiplayer game. The title is still in development, but the recent success of Helldivers 2 and Horizon Forbidden West on PC makes a strong case for them to launch it on PC.

Why it matters: Hiroki Totoki, PlayStation’s new CEO, is pushing toward an aggressive PC approach.

Another Strong Debut For A PlayStation PC Port 

Initially, the game didn’t seem to be doing too well since it failed to reach Steam’s top sellers before launch.

However, the sales gradually became a lot better. According to Circana, till late March, the PlayStation release wasn’t even in the top 100 best-selling US games. The game eventually broke into the top 10, highlighting the sudden burst in popularity.

The numbers aren’t as staggering as the first game’s but still impressive for a release that faced Dragon’s Dogma 2, Capcom’s biggest game on the platform. We already know that the PlayStation PC ports are fairly cheap to make, so it’s probably paying off quite well.

Additionally, this goes to show how important PlayStation ports are for PCs. We could even say that they have a net positive impact on PC gaming by adding to the brilliant library.

Helldivers 2 and Horizon Forbidden West have been huge on PC, indicating that ports for PlayStation games are not only great for the audience but also for the studios and the publishers themselves.

This brings us to the Horizon live service spinoff. The spinoff, as we know, has been in development for quite some time. In my opinion, the game should be available on Steam and Epic Games Store from the beginning.

Horizon Live Service on PC

The Horizon live service game is rumored to be under development from Guerrilla Games. This project showed up in leaks last year, highlighting an aesthetic similar to Fortnite.

It is important to note that this project should not be confused with NCSoft’s Horizon MMO, which could even ship on mobile devices.

Going by how much the audience has loved the recent PlayStation titles, the Horizon live service game is practically guaranteed to garner interest on PC.

If the game is as good as its predecessors, success on PC is nearly a given. This franchise has not experimented with day-one releases on PC yet, so it is difficult to gauge its true potential for now.

However, combining the millions of PS5 and PC users, the Horizon MMO would have much to gain from deciding against skipping the platform.

In my opinion, the PC platform will play a crucial role in expanding the IP further to help it reach even more audiences.

Horizon is one of PlayStation’s best-selling franchises, and adding to it will only benefit Guerrilla Games. Several more games are planned for the series, and who knows, maybe a major single-player game from the series will debut on PC at launch someday.

Abdullah Waseem

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Laiba, our tech guru at HI Digital, simplifies and crafts How-To Guides with a Google IT Support Certificate. Beyond tech, she captures the city’s aesthetics through her lens. Join her journey where tech meets creativity!

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