PS5 exclusive Returnal seems to be coming to PC via Steam

Returnal key art
(Image credit: PlayStation)

What you need to know

  • Returnal is a roguelike science-fiction game developed by Finnish studio Housemarque for the PS5.
  • Housemarque was acquired by PlayStation Studios months after the launch of the game.
  • According to a new Steam listing, Returnal is coming to PC.

Sony is continuing to push beyond just a gaming console, with more and more PS4 games getting PC ports. Now, it appears the first PS5 game is being ported.

According to a Steam listing discovered on Thursday (via Nibel), Sony is bringing Housemarque's 2021 roguelike title Returnal to PC. The listing doesn't explicitly name Returnal, but the tags and other data make it quite clear, referencing a roguelike, female protagonist, and the "Tower of Sisyphus," a free DLC recently added to the PS5 version of the game. 

Returnal is a third-person shooter will bullet hell elements, taking place on dark alien planet called Atropos, where protagonist Selene finds herself unable to permanently die. The game was released for PS5 on April 30, 2021, with Housemarque being acquired by PlayStation just a couple of months later. 

While Returnal didn't light sales charts on fire, selling 560,000 copies as of July 2021, the game was well-received critically, and swept the 18th BAFTA Game awards.

Depending on when exactly this port launches for PC, it might be the fastest a game has launched on PlayStation before making its way off the console. Horizon Zero Dawn was released for PS4 in February 2017 and came to PC in August 2020. Days Gone released in April 2019 and then arrived on PC on May 18, 2021. God of War launched in April 2018 and got a January 2022 PC release date. 

Finally, the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, which bundles 2016 title Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and 2017 spinoff Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, is currently slated to arrive on PC sometime later in 2022. At a recent investor presentation, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan reaffirmed that the company is looking to expand its presence in PC gaming, alongside looking into mobile titles.

Samuel Tolbert
Freelance Writer

Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter @SamuelTolbert.