In an interview with GQ Magazine, Sony's Jim Ryan confirmed that Days Gone will join a "whole slate" of PlayStation exclusives headed to PC. While it's exciting for PC users to finally get their hands on this massive open world, Days Gone still doesn't have a concrete release date aside from a tentative spring release. And while spring could be anything from March to May, there are pretty good reasons for it to release in April: To be precise, April 26.
April 26, 2021 will mark two years since Days Gone released on the PS4. Game anniversaries are often moments when fans collectively look back in retrospect, discuss, and replay those titles to rejuvenate the nostalgia. Days Gone's initial reviews may not have been ideal, but it has garnished a dedicated fan base over the years that still play and discuss the game on social media platforms. One such reason why Days Gone continues to be in the public eye is because of its incredible photo-mode, which people still can't get enough of.
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With Days Gone's second anniversary on the horizon, community-driven events such as virtual photography will likely increase. With all that excitement, a PC release would be appropriate, as it would allow PC players to join in the hype on their high end rigs. It's also a time where many console players who initially missed out on the game, or put it on the shelf, may want to return. Releasing Days Gone to PC on its PS4 release date would mean that PC players can embrace the hype surrounding the game at the same time when PlayStation users are replaying or recalling it. This could lead to the formation of a broader community for the game at the perfect time.
2021's April lineup of PC games is relatively less crowded than March or May. While there are some big titles such as Outriders and Nier Replicant, they are targeting vastly different audiences compared to Days Gone. Unlike Horizon: Zero Dawn, Days Gone isn't a widely critically-acclaimed title, and as such, a scarce release window would only help it gain new momentum. It's hard to say whether or not Days Gone's PC sales may severely affect the fate of future PlayStation titles that might come to PC. However, a late April release seems like a smart release date, as it would have the advantage of being one of the only titles of its genre releasing in that time period.
If Days Gone releases in late April, it wouldn't be the only PlayStation game releasing that month. Housemarque studio's long-awaited third-person roguelike shooter Returnal will release on April 30. While Returnal is shaping up to be the studio's most ambitious game to date, and a notable addition to the PS5's arsenal, the console's on-going scarcity will undoubtedly affect the game's sales. As such, releasing Days Gone on PC in that same time period makes even more sense as it could make up for an overall profitable month for PlayStation, scarcity notwithstanding.
It's no doubt that releasing Days Gone on PC would be great news for Days Gone 2. While the latter has yet to be confirmed, game director Christopher Reese in a 2019 interview with GamesRadar, hinted at a sequel by saying that the studio wants to breathe more life into this world. Moreover, with the commercial success of Days Gone, it's very possible that a sequel is on the way.
Days Gone is available on the PS4 and PS5.
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