Saros Sells 300,000 Copies but Struggles Against $76 Million Budget as Returnal Pace Lags
Updated
Updated · Eurogamer.net · May 13
Saros Sells 300,000 Copies but Struggles Against $76 Million Budget as Returnal Pace Lags
6 articles · Updated · Eurogamer.net · May 13
$22 million in revenue from 300,000 copies leaves Saros facing an uphill path to recoup its reported $76 million development budget, according to Alinea Analytics.
A third of sales came during a 48-hour early-access window for deluxe buyers, suggesting launch demand may be front-loaded rather than building after release.
93 million PS5 owners were available at launch versus about 8 million for 2021's Returnal, yet analyst Rhys Elliott said Saros is still selling slightly slower than Housemarque's previous game.
Competition from recent PS5 releases including Crimson Desert and Resident Evil Requiem, along with players' broader backlog, appears to have diluted demand.
20% completion and daily players rising from 43,000 in early access to nearly 142,000 on May 2 point to stronger engagement, which could support longer-tail sales or a later PC release.
Could a PC port save Saros, or will Sony's exclusivity policy seal the game's financial fate?
With rave reviews and happy players, why is Sony's $76 million exclusive considered a commercial failure?