Summary
- The PC version of Lost Soul Aside has seemingly eliminated the controversial PSN account linking requirement ahead of its 2025 launch.
- This change enables Sony to market Lost Soul Aside in regions not supported by PSN, enhancing the game's global reach and sales potential.
- Sony's decision to remove the PSN account linking mandate for Lost Soul Aside may suggest a more adaptable strategy for PlayStation's PC titles in the future.
New evidence indicates that Lost Soul Aside, an eagerly awaited title from Sony, has dropped its PlayStation Network account requirement for its PC release. This move not only frees PC players from the necessity of linking a PSN account but also broadens the geographical scope where Sony can distribute the game upon its 2025 launch.
Emerging from PlayStation's China Hero Project, Lost Soul Aside is a standout indie game developed by the Shanghai-based studio UltiZeroGames. This hack and slash action RPG, inspired by Devil May Cry and focused on "dynamic combat," has been in development for nearly nine years. Sony, having financed the project, is set to publish Lost Soul Aside on both PS5 and PC. Last year, Sony introduced a mandatory PSN account linking for its PC games, which drew significant criticism from the gaming community.
PSN is not available in over 100 countries, limiting the sales and player base of PC games requiring such linkage. However, Lost Soul Aside appears to be breaking this pattern by not mandating a PSN account on PC. Following the release of a new gameplay trailer in December 2024, Lost Soul Aside's Steam page was launched. Initially, it did mention a PSN account requirement, but the SteamDB update history reveals that this was removed the very next day.
Lost Soul Aside Marks the Second Sony-Published Game to Drop PSN Account Linking on PC
This decision is likely to be welcomed by PC gamers eager to play Lost Soul Aside, particularly those in countries without PSN support. It also marks a significant shift in Sony's approach to PC releases, following the precedent set by the Helldivers 2 controversy. Initially considered a non-negotiable rule for PlayStation's PC games, the exclusion of Lost Soul Aside from this requirement suggests Sony may be more flexible with such policies.
While the exact reasons for Sony's decision remain unclear, it is speculated that the company aims to maximize the game's accessibility to a wider audience. Previous PlayStation titles on PC faced challenges after the introduction of the PSN account linking rule, with God of War Ragnarok seeing significantly fewer Steam players than its predecessor.
