The now-retracted PC releases of Demon’s Souls and Final Fantasy XVI are a strange coincidence

As part of its PlayStation 5 launch event yesterday, Sony said Final Fantasy XVI and Demon souls They weren’t strictly exclusive to PS5 – Trailers for both games revealed they were coming to PC as well. At the time, that meant the biggest game announced during Sony’s showcase, as well as one of the most notable launch titles on the PS5, wouldn’t require a PS5 to play them. If you add the fact that both Spider-Man: Miles Morales and West horizon forbidden It’s also coming to PS4, you may have decided to wait to buy a PS5 at launch.

But shortly after the event, Sony and Square Enix went into damage control, saying that Final Fantasy XVI and Demon souls they don’t actually make it to the PC after all.

It’s an odd coincidence, and it makes the PS5 lineup seem that much more solid if both games are exclusive to Sony’s next-gen console. Demon souls is a highly anticipated remake of the 2009 PS3 classic, and will be one of six PS5 launch titles of its own.

AND Final Fantasy XVI is the next numbered game in one of the most popular video game franchises, one that helped build the PlayStation brand. Sony tacitly acknowledged how important the game is to the PS5 by using its surprise announcement to kick off yesterday’s full presentation, only to reveal in fine print that the game would be coming to PC, lessening the impact of the announcement for Sony.

Image: Sony

Sony explicitly suggested that the PC launches would help grow its business last month, and said in its 2020 corporate report that “we will explore expanding our proprietary titles to the PC platform, in order to promote further growth in our profitability “. While we’re not sure they’re the first part, it wouldn’t have been weird if Final Fantasy XVI and Demon souls had reached the PC. This year, two other great PS4 titles made the leap, with Death stranded coming to PC in July and Horizon zero dawn popping up in August. Detroit: become human came to the PC as well.

Official statements from Sony and Square Enix on the availability of the games muddy the waters of this whole situation. A Square Enix spokesperson said The edge on Wednesday that “just announced” Final Fantasy XVI for the PS5, indicating a press release. And Square Enix said IGN that “we have no further information on whether Final Fantasy XVI will be released on platforms other than PS5. “If it is true that it is exclusive to PS5, why can’t Square Enix just say that?

The situation around Demon souls it’s a little clearer, like Sony said Kotaku and The edge that the PC mentions in the trailer for that game was included by mistake and that the game will be exclusive to PS5. But Sony did not respond to questions from The edge asking if Demon souls it would be a timed Exclusive to PS5 and could end up on PC later. Death stranded and Horizon zero dawn They were also exclusive to PS4, after all.