Why 'God of War' And Other Exclusives Don't Launch On PlayStation Now: PlayStation Boss Explains

When larger PlayStation releases debut on the system, they don't immediately touch down on the PlayStation Now platform. This is in sharp contrast to Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass, which hosts many of the company's first-party games upon their official release.

There's a reason behind this, according to Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Ryan stated that it's an "area that is fast changing and fluid," before explaining a bit about some of the reasons the larger games don't come to Sony's pay-and-play streaming platform.

"The nature and scale of some of the first party games that we are making leads us to think that, right now, it’s better to spend energy on making sure that the launch of those games is a massive entertainment event," Ryan explained. "I would cite God of War and 'Spider-Man,' and 'The Last of Us [Part] 2' next year will fall into that category."

However, as Ryan said, this may not be the case for the foreseeable future indefinitely.

"I don’t want to say this is what PlayStation Now is going to be like forever," he said. "But certainly right now, given how some of our first party IP is incredibly special and valuable, we just want to treat them with amazing care and respect, and have those launches be clean and pure."

Essentially, PlayStation triple-A releases aren't being sent out to PlayStation Now because the company would rather focus on its "special and valuable" titles and ensure they have the most flawless launches they possibly can. That is to say nothing of what happens to Xbox One titles, which also launch onto Xbox Game Pass at the same time. Ryan appears to believe that it's better overall to make sure that they're confident the games have enough time in the oven to please audiences when they debut.

Right now, PlayStation fans have one big launch to look forward to (at least, most of the world) in the form of Hideo Kojima's 'Death Stranding.' It won't be making its way to PlayStation Now for some time, so for fans interested in giving it a try, purchasing or renting is their only option at this point. The same will go for "The Last of Us Part 2" when it arrives next year, unless Ryan decides to change course.