Housemarque’s latest PS5 exclusive, Saros, sounds like the kind of game PlayStation fans should be eating up: third-person action, bullet-hell chaos, and the same studio DNA that made Returnal such a cult favourite.
But according to estimates from Alinea Analytics, the early sales picture is a bit more complicated.
The report claims Saros has sold over 300,000 copies in its first two weeks on PlayStation, generating around $22 million in gross revenue so far. That is not a flop number, to be clear. For many studios, 300K in two weeks would be solid. But for a first-party PlayStation Studios release, especially one coming from a team Sony clearly has bigger ambitions for, the start is reportedly being viewed as “lukewarm”.
The main issue is comparison. Saros appears to be tracking behind Returnal, Housemarque’s previous PS5 title. Returnal launched in a very different moment: the PS5 was still fresh, proper next-gen exclusives were rare, and early adopters were hungry for anything that screamed “this is why I bought the console”. That gave Returnal a lot of natural spotlight.
Saros arrives in a much noisier market. There are far more PS5 consoles out there now, but also far more games fighting for attention. Recent releases like Pragmata, Crimson Desert, and Hades 2 landing on PlayStation mean players have plenty of other big titles competing for their time and wallet.
For Malaysian and SEA players, this is where the story gets interesting. Premium PS5 games are not impulse buys here. When a new console game costs roughly the price of a week’s food budget for some students or working gamers, people become very selective. A hardcore Housemarque fan may jump in day one, no problem. But the wider crowd? They may wait for discounts, PS Plus, physical second-hand copies, or strong word of mouth from friends.
That may explain why Saros is reportedly doing well with the Returnal crowd but struggling to pull in many new players at launch. It has the loyalty; it may not yet have the mass-market hook.
The financial side is the spicy part. Alinea Analytics reportedly pegs Saros’ development budget at $76 million, which means the game may have a long road before it breaks even if sales do not accelerate. That does not automatically mean disaster, but in today’s PlayStation environment, where budgets are huge and expectations are even bigger, slow starts can create serious pressure.
The concern is understandable, especially after seeing how ruthless the industry has become with studio restructuring and project cancellations. Nobody wants Housemarque to be punished for making sharp, high-skill action games instead of safer mainstream titles. Studios like this give PlayStation its flavour, bro — not every exclusive needs to be a massive open-world checklist.
There is some good news, though. Saros is reportedly very “sticky” among players who do buy it. Alinea estimates that around one-fifth of players have already finished the game, which is a strong completion signal. In an era where many players bounce off games after a few hours, getting that many people to reach the credits suggests the core experience is landing.
That could matter a lot over the rest of the year. If Saros keeps getting strong critical reception and fans keep recommending it, it may still build momentum beyond the launch window. For SEA players sitting on the fence, this is probably one to watch closely — especially if PlayStation gives it a proper sale push later.
For now, Saros looks less like a failure and more like a premium, hardcore PS5 exclusive that needs stronger word of mouth to escape its niche. The game seems good. The question is whether good is enough when the budget is this big.
Source: Wccftech Gaming