Some PlayStation sequels have sold more slowly on Steam than their predecessors did over comparable launch windows, according to estimates from Alinea Analytics. The firm calls this a fading novelty effect—but its figures are estimates, not Sony disclosures, and they do not show that every PlayStation game is losing its PC audience.
What does “the novelty is wearing off” mean?
Alinea Analytics uses the phrase to describe a pattern in its estimated Steam sales: several later PlayStation releases drew fewer buyers over matched periods than earlier entries in their series. The idea is that early PC ports benefited from pent-up demand and the novelty of seeing formerly PlayStation-exclusive games arrive on Steam.
That is an analyst interpretation, not a statement from Sony or Valve. Alinea’s November 24, 2025 report estimates that PlayStation Studios-published games on Steam generated more than $1.5 billion in gross revenue and sold 43 million copies overall. These are proprietary estimates, not audited totals or sales figures disclosed by the companies. Alinea Analytics’ report does not provide independently reproducible Steam sales records.
What do the Steam comparisons show?
Alinea compares estimated sales over similar periods after each game’s Steam launch. The reported figures suggest slower starts for the newer entries in three series:
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| Series | Alinea’s reported comparison |
|---|---|
| Horizon | Horizon Zero Dawn reached an estimated 4.5 million Steam copies. After 608 days on Steam, Horizon Forbidden West was selling three times more slowly, according to Alinea. |
| God of War | God of War reached an estimated 2.5 million copies after 427 days on Steam—more than 2.5 times Alinea’s estimate for God of War Ragnarök over the same period. |
| Marvel’s Spider-Man | Marvel’s Spider-Man reached an estimated 1.4 million copies after 294 days on Steam—more than twice Alinea’s estimate for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 over the same window. |
These are comparisons of selected games, not proof that all PlayStation sequels sell worse on PC. Matching the time since launch makes the comparisons more useful, but does not explain why the estimates differ. The figures also should not be confused with revenue, player counts, reviews or concurrent users; those measure different things.
Does this mean PlayStation is struggling on PC?
No such conclusion follows from these comparisons. Alinea itself cautions that a weaker novelty effect does not mean PlayStation is struggling on PC. The report estimates Steam revenue of $32 million for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and $45 million for God of War Ragnarök, alongside the slower unit-sales comparisons. Revenue estimates and copy estimates answer different questions, so one should not be treated as a substitute for the other.
Helldivers 2 is a major counterexample
Alinea estimates that Helldivers 2 sold 12.7 million copies on Steam and describes it as a major PC success. The firm suggests that its replayable cooperative format fits Steam audiences. That is a proposed explanation, not a causal result established by an experiment, but the game illustrates why performance can vary with a title’s format and audience rather than follow one uniform trend.
What could explain slower sequel sales?
The available comparisons establish a difference in Alinea’s estimates, not its cause. Several factors could matter, and the report does not isolate their effects:
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- Prior audience saturation: some players interested in a series may already have bought an earlier PC release.
- Game-specific reception: the appeal of a sequel can differ from its predecessor’s.
- Release timing and pricing: launch dates, discounts and the length of time buyers have had to wait may affect demand.
- Genre and replayability: a repeatable cooperative game may attract a different Steam audience from a primarily single-player release.
To test any of these explanations would require evidence beyond the matched-window sales estimates in the report. The comparisons do not establish that novelty alone caused the slower results.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does Sony’s PC release schedule tell us?
GameSpot reported on November 21, 2025, that Sony had no strict schedule for when PlayStation games might arrive on PC, while reporting a commitment to simultaneous console and PC launches for live-service games. That is secondary reporting from that date, not an official policy document or confirmation that the approach remains current in October 2026. GameSpot’s report provides context, but it does not verify Alinea’s game-level sales estimates.
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