When Helldivers 2 came out in February, Sony decided to try something different. It let developer Arrowhead Game Studios launch the PlayStation-published co-op shooter on both PS5 and PC on day one, instead of the publisher’s usual tactic of making PC ports three to four years after the PlayStation version.
Helldivers 2 enjoying three straight months (and counting) as a Steam top seller suggests Sony’s first simultaneous launch was a huge success, but until now, we didn’t know how Helldivers 2’s PC version compared to the PS5.
Turns out, in terms of money coming in, Helldivers 2 is bigger on PC in the US. That’s according to industry analyst Mat Piscatella at Circana (formerly NPD group), who shared some insights on Twitter from official sales information provided by Sony.
“PC has been a huge part of the success of Helldivers 2 in the US,” Piscatella wrote. “With PC, Helldivers II is already the 7th highest grossing Sony published game in history. Without PC it wouldn’t currently rank among the top 20.”
In a followup email with PC Gamer, Piscatella added that “over half of US dollar volume life-to-date has come from the PC version.”
PC has been a huge part of the success of Helldivers II in the US. With PC, Helldivers II is already the 7th highest grossing Sony published game in history. Without PC it wouldn’t currently rank among the top 20.May 1, 2024
That’s a non-specific way of saying Helldivers 2 has made more money on PC than PlayStation in the US. It’s important to note, though, that Circana’s data only includes full game sales and excludes “add-on content” sales, so presumably premium warbond and Super Credit purchases aren’t factored in. Technically, it’s possible more people are buying Super Credits on PS5 which could close the gap in terms of dollars made, but it doesn’t seem likely.
Piscatella declined to specify which PlayStation-published games Helldivers 2 has outsold in its number seven spot, but did indicate to PC Gamer which games rank above it: “3 Marvel Spider-Man titles, 2 God of War titles and Ghosts of Tsushima, in no particular order.”
That’s impressive company no matter how you spin it. The only Sony games that’ve made more money (again, only in the US) than Helldivers 2 have been out for, in some cases, six years versus Helldivers’ three months, and cost $20-$30 more to purchase. That means Helldivers 2 is a bigger success in the US than any The Last of Us or Horizon game. There’s no reason to doubt Helldivers 2 will keep climbing that list, especially considering it’s still in the top ten Steam games by revenue as I write this.
Such is the power of the PC. As Piscatella put it in the same Twitter thread, “Launching Helldivers 2 on both PlayStation and PC has been nothing short of a massive, resounding success.”
So Sony should probably do these simultaneous releases more often, right? Back in February, just days after Helldivers 2’s release, Sony president Hiroki Totoki went on the record about the company getting more “proactive” about PC releases. The next PlayStation exclusive making its PC debut comes this month: 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima is coming to Steam and Epic on May 16.