Summary
- Lost Soul Aside's PC version has seemingly removed the controversial PSN account linking requirement ahead of its 2025 launch.
- This will allow publisher Sony to sell Lost Soul Aside in countries that aren't supported by PSN, boosting the game's overall reach and sales potential.
- Sony's decision to drop the PSN account linking rule for Lost Soul Aside may hint at a more flexible approach for PlayStation's PC games going forward.
Exciting news has emerged for fans eagerly awaiting the release of Lost Soul Aside, a highly anticipated action RPG from Sony's China Hero Project. Recent evidence suggests that the PC version of this game will no longer require a PlayStation Network (PSN) account, a move that significantly broadens its market reach ahead of its 2025 launch.
Lost Soul Aside, developed by Shanghai-based studio UltiZeroGames over nearly a decade, has drawn inspiration from the acclaimed Devil May Cry series and promises exhilarating, dynamic combat. As part of Sony's incubation program, the game has received funding and will be published by Sony on both PS5 and PC. However, Sony's recent trend of mandating PSN account linking for its PC titles sparked considerable controversy among the gaming community.
The requirement to link a PSN account limited the sales potential of Sony's PC games, as over 100 countries lack PSN support. But in a surprising twist, Lost Soul Aside's Steam page, which initially indicated the need for a PSN account, was updated shortly after its latest gameplay trailer in December 2024. The SteamDB update history confirms that the PSN account linking mandate was removed the very next day.
This development is a breath of fresh air for PC gamers in regions without PSN support who are eager to experience Lost Soul Aside. It also marks an intriguing shift in Sony's strategy for its PC releases. Previously, only Helldivers 2 faced similar backlash leading to a reversal of the PSN account linking requirement. With Lost Soul Aside joining this exclusive club, it signals that Sony might be adopting a more flexible stance on this issue.
While the exact reasons behind Sony's decision to exempt Lost Soul Aside from the PSN account linking rule remain undisclosed, it's speculated that the company aims to maximize the game's accessibility and player base. Recent performance data indicates that PlayStation games on PC, such as God of War Ragnarok, have not fared as well under the PSN account linking mandate, suggesting a strategic pivot may be in Sony's best interest.
