PlayStation co-CEO says consoles will remain the company’s main priority

Sony PlayStation executive Hideaki Nishino clarified that the company’s main business focus will remain consoles. Nishino also mentioned that PlayStation will continue to invest in PC games to progress as an industry leader in the gaming ecosystem.

Sony expanded its operations and business in the video games market by introducing titles for PC and mobile phones. However, the company will focus on consoles. Sony PlayStation co-CEO spoke in an interview with Japanese news outlet Nikkei concerning the future of PlayStation’s business operations. 

According to the executive, PlayStation’s core business will remain centered around consoles, including the anticipated PlayStation 5 Pro , as far as game releases are concerned. During the interview, Nishino brought to light the merits of a home console over mobile and PC devices. The executive stated that home consoles are easier to use than other gaming devices. 

Nishino explains why consoles are better 

Nishino expressed his opinion about many mobile games having in-game advertisements and gamers experiencing difficulties setting up PC games. According to Nishino, consoles are plug-and-play. Once turned on, the users experience the content almost immediately.

“The store where you purchase software also offers an intuitive experience because the products are laid out in an easy-to-understand manner.”

–Nishino

While Nishino referred to consoles as easy to use, users still need to complete various steps to access content, such as creating accounts with game publishers like Ubisoft and Activision and registering the disc drive. 

The executive also emphasized that Sony PlayStation will continue to invest in developing PC games as part of the company’s objectives to increase its market share in the gaming ecosystem. Nishino told the news outlet that offering titles on gaming devices beyond consoles will allow the company to reach a wider audience. 

PlayStation’s Helldivers 2 cements its success in the PC gaming market 

PlayStation has had a credible track record in developing PC games. Perhaps the most notable release was Helldivers 2, which peaked at nearly half a million concurrent players about seven months ago. 

According to data from Steam database tracking website SteamDB, Helldivers 2 peaked at 23,960 players in 24 hours and has an all-time peak of 458,709 concurrent players recorded 7 months ago. The website shows that at the time of this writing, the game has 28,768 players.

The data also shows that the game ranks 36 in the top sellers list. Helldivers 2 has received 71.05% positive reviews, more than 641,000 positive reviews, against only 261,000 negative reviews. 

Nishino took up the executive role at PlayStation on June 1st, 2024. He and Hermen Hulst succeeded Jim Ryan as co-CEO of PlayStation after Ryan retired from the executive role. Hulst became CEO of the newly named Studio Business Group, while Hideaki Nishino took up the CEO role of SIE’s Platform Business Group. PlayStation identified both parties as CEOs.