'PUBG' PS4 & Switch Release Rumors Likely False, Here's What We Know

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds , or PUBG, is one of the most popular games in the world right now. With record-setting concurrent stats on Steam and a very popular Game Preview release on Xbox One, those stuck with a PS4 or Nintendo Switch are starving for a release. Unfortunately, due to the uncertainty of exclusivity deals, it may be some time before that reality comes to pass.

THERE IS HOPE ON THE HORIZON

Before getting down to the nitty gritty of this PUBG problem, it's worth noting the game's developers at PUBG Corporation have repeatedly said they aim to bring their product to as many platforms as possible. "If we have the opportunity, the final goal would be to launch the title on every platform," PUBG Corp CEO Chang Han Kim told InvenGlobal in late December.

Kim expressed these thoughts to Business Insider in June as well. "We definitely do have plans for other platforms," he confirmed shortly after announcing the Xbox Game Preview partnership, "but no details have been finalized yet."

These quotes are the primary fuel behind dodgy reddit rumors like this one that suggest versions of PUBG will come to PS4 and Nintendo Switch later this year and into 2019. The intent to release PUBG on multiple platforms has been officially announced, but anything beyond that is pure speculation.

THE UNCERTAINTY OF CONSOLE EXCLUSIVITY DEALS

Given the non-specific language described above, conventional wisdom suggests PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is a timed console exclusive on Xbox One. That means after a certain period of time dictated by a contract, PUBG can release on PS4. As of now that contract remains active, and Microsoft's first-party studio, The Coalition, is assisting to make PUBG's Xbox version the best it can be.

The trouble with all timed-exclusivity deals is that developers aren't allowed to publicly discuss when they expire. Not only that, but exclusivity contracts can have fairly wide date ranges too. Triple-A title Rise Of The Tomb Raider came to PS4 a year after its Xbox One release, but a smaller indie title like Inside was only exclusive to Xbox One for two months. It's assumed Microsoft paid for a larger PUBG contract, and Bloomberg reported in October that discussions were underway to possibly extend the deal. Based on the evidence, PUBG could be an Xbox One console exclusive for a year or more.

Contracts don't even take into account that the console version of PUBG is still a mess right now. Even if its nebulous contract date were to expire, PUBG Corp might not feel comfortable releasing other console builds until the current one is truly stable. As with many things in business, there are lots of questions the public can't possibly know the answers to. We'll learn the truth eventually, but right now those conversations are happening behind closed doors.

SPECULATION OF A BUYOUT

Diving even further into the realm of speculation, it's not that unthinkable that Microsoft might opt to purchase PUBG Corporation outright. A similar deal was struck in 2014 when the company bought Minecraft studio Mojang for $2.5 billion. A January report from Polygon suggests general studio-acquisition talks are underway at Xbox, and major names like Electronic Arts and Valve have been part of the discussion.

PUBG 's close relationship with and immense success on the Xbox platform positions PUBG Corp as a prime candidate for a buyout. If that were to happen, it'd be up to Microsoft to decide if PUBG could release on other platforms. Minecraft stays updated on PS4 and Switch under Microsoft's watch, so there's precedence for agnostic policy.

As you can see, the PUBG-on-PS4 situation is a complex one. Hopefully after reading this recap, you understand the details. We'll do our best to post updates as they arrive.

For now, PUBG is only available on PC and Xbox One.

Are you willing to wait to play PUBG on PS4? Will that ever happen? Tell us in the comments section!