Is Rise of the Ronin a PS5 exclusive? Best alternatives explained
Rise of the answer.
The latest Team Ninja game is showing a lot of potential, and its late 19th century open-world Japan setting and hard-hitting action gameplay is turning a lot of heads.
There’s just one issue with it: People want to know if Rise of the Ronin is a PS5 exclusive or not.
Fortunately for you, we’re here to provide the answer.
Whether you’ve seen some of its brutal combat, are a fan of its Bakumatsu period, or just think it looks neat, you need to know if you can actually play it.
Heck, you may even be craving some Rise of the Ronin after watching Shōgun on Disney Plus.
Whatever your reasons for wanting to play Team Ninja’s latest, simply keep reading to find out if Rise of the Ronin is a PS5 exclusive and to see a list of the best alternatives to Team Ninja’s latest should you not be able to play it.
Is Rise of the Ronin a PS5 exclusive?
Yes, Rise of the Ronin is a PS5 exclusive. When the open-world samurai game launches on 22nd March 2024, it will be released on PS5 and PS5 only. You cannot play it on PS4, Xbox, PC or Nintendo Switch.
When it was initially confirmed back in September 2022, however, Rise of the Ronin was dubbed a PlayStation 5 console exclusive.
While not conclusive, that wording certainly suggests that the game could eventually launch on PC, joining many of Sony’s other PS5 exclusive titles. Time will tell on this front, though.
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Why is Rise of the Ronin a PS5 exclusive?
Rise of the Ronin is a PS5 exclusive because it is being published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Sony is not in the habit of releasing its games on other consoles outside of its PlayStation brand.
It’s even had its development assisted by Sony XDEV Studio, a studio which helps out a lot of "second-party" games such as this.
Following on from Nioh and Nioh 2, Rise of the Ronin is the third PlayStation console exclusive developed by Team Ninja.
The Japanese studio has a history of developing exclusive games. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 was a Switch exclusive back in 2019, Fire Emblem Warriors was Nintendo exclusive – as was Hyrule Warriors and Metroid: Other M.
Team Ninja’s earlier releases from 2001 through to 2006 were all Xbox exclusives.
It’s a bit of a surprise when a Team Ninja game is multiplatform, as Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty both were.
Will Rise of the Ronin come to PC or other platforms?
Rise of the Ronin is launching on 22nd March 2024 as a PS5 console exclusive, which suggests that it may (at some point) be released on PC.
Sony’s console-exclusive games have been releasing on PC after at least a year of console exclusivity for a while now.
Rise of the Ronin could well be the next PlayStation game to launch on PC, following on from the likes of both Horizon games, The Last of Us, Spider-Man, God of War, Days Gone and now Ghost of Tsushima.
A similar situation happened with both Nioh and Nioh 2, too. Both Team Ninja games were PlayStation console exclusives published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, and both launched a little later on PC.
We’d be surprised if the same thing doesn’t happen with Rise of the Ronin at some point. Don’t expect it to launch on Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch or the heavily rumoured Nintendo Switch 2, however.
Best Alternatives to Rise of the Ronin on other platforms
Now you know you can’t play Rise of the Ronin on the Xbox, Switch or even PS4, we thought we’d list off a few games that should capture its vibe that you can enjoy right now.
Here’s our picks for the best alternatives to Rise of the Ronin on other platforms:
Ghost of Tsushima
Probably the closest game in terms of vibes and gameplay to Rise of the Ronin is Ghost of Tsushima. This should scratch that samurai itch if you only have a PS4 or can play it on a PC.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
Set in China, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is another great souls-like developed by Team Ninja. This can be played on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. If you’re up for a challenge it’s worth a go.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro captures the Japanese setting of Rise of the Ronin and its challenging parry-based combat for sure. It also helps that it’s really good (when does FromSoftware miss?). It’s not open-world, but you can forgive that.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom
While not precisely the same thing, the open-world action-RPG gameplay of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, will supply the epic adventure you're craving on Nintendo Switch.
- Buy The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild from Amazon
- Buy The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom from Amazon
Subscribe to our free gaming newsletter for all the latest intel.
Looking for something to watch? Check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Toby Saunders is a freelance writer specialising in Video Game journalism. He has a wealth of experience in the field and is published on many different websites including PCGamesN, Nintendo Life and Pocket Tactics. He has a degree in Film Studies (he gets to write about Film and TV occasionally, too).
