Why Isn‘t Goat Simulator 3 Coming to PS4? An In-Depth Analysis

As an avid gamer and content creator focused on the latest releases in the industry, I was eager to get my hooves on Goat Simulator 3. This wacky, over-the-top franchise has earned a cult following for its ridiculous ragdoll physics and tongue-in-cheek humor.

Hardware Limitations Prevent a PS4 Release

Shortly after Goat Simulator 3 was unveiled at the 2022 Summer Game Fest, I was shocked to learn it wouldn‘t be coming to PlayStation 4 consoles. As one of the most highly-anticipated titles this year, why exclude the massive PS4 install base from the zany goat hijinks?

According to the developers at Coffee Stain Studios, the decision came down to hardware limitations. Lead Game Designer Armin Ibrisagic explained to IGN:

"We built the game on Unreal Engine 5, which allows us to have these next-level physics that we wanted to have. We can have up to 7,000 goats or other animals just roaming the world at the same time. To get that amount of goats in there, it does require next-gen [capabilities]."

By harnessing the full power of Unreal Engine 5 and cutting-edge consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, the team has far more headroom to realize their ambitious vision. More intelligent NPC behaviors, detailed open worlds, complex physics – these advancements benefit the experience greatly but require serious horsepower.

I can appreciate the desire to avoid technical limitations that could hinder creativity. And based on the preview footage, Goat Simulator 3 certainly delivers chaotic next-gen mayhem. Still, leaving behind over 115+ million PS4 owners stings.

With such a mammoth legacy userbase, one has to wonder if PS4 ports could still be viable down the road. We‘ve seen several PlayStation 5 exclusives like Sackboy: A Big Adventure and Destruction AllStars eventually release on last-gen hardware.

However, Coffee Stain implied ports aren‘t being considered at this time. Ibrisagic doubled down, "We built this game strictly for next-gen" in a later interview. For now, PS4 and even Nintendo Switch owners are left in the dust without their own hoofed havoc simulator.

Goat Simulator 3 Might Receive Post-Launch Ports

Looking ahead, while Goat Simulator 3 isn‘t coming to PS4 anytime soon, post-launch ports for PS4 or Switch could still happen. As the new consoles continue to mature and the PS4/Switch installed bases remain substantial, supporting those platforms could drive additional sales down the road.

We‘ve seen this strategic shift with several former PlayStation 5 exclusives:

• Kena: Bridge of Spirits launched as a timed PS5 exclusive in September 2021. One year later, an enhanced version was announced for PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
• Oddworld Soulstorm debuted exclusively on PS5 in April 2021 alongside a release on PC. The game came to PS4, Xbox One and Switch in May 2022.
• Sackboy: A Big Adventure arrived as a PS5 launch game in November 2020. A PS4 version released digitally in October 2021, nearly a full year after the PS5 original.

While these ports didn‘t always coincide with the initial launch, publishers capitalized on expanding to secondary console platforms later on.

So while Goat Simulator 3 is skipping PS4 for now, don‘t rule out potential last-gen ports in 2024 or beyond if the game sells well on new hardware. Coffee Stain is likely just avoiding prematurely committing either way until they evaluate the Xbox Series/PS5 version‘s performance.

In their official FAQ, the studio says "We are focusing our efforts on the best possible next-gen experience. No further platforms are confirmed at this time." So the door seems open should they reconsider down the road.

The Install Base Differential Represents Missed Revenue

In their pursuit of technical ambition and gameplay innovation with Goat Simulator 3, Coffee Stain is clearly betting big on the future over the present. However, that carries a real cost in terms of lost revenue by overlooking the PS4 specifically.

To quantify the potential money left on the table, let‘s hypothetically assume Goat Simulator 3 sees a similar attach rate on PS4 as Goat Simulator did back in 2014.

• Goat Simulator lifetime sales across all platforms: Over 10 million copies
• PlayStation 4 global install base: ~117 million
• Attach Rate: ~8.5%

If Goat Simulator 3 reached 8.5% of PS4 consoles, that would amount to nearly 10 million additional sales for Coffee Stain.

Conservatively, if we halve the attach rate to account for the aging last-gen userbase in 2024, 4-5 million PS4 sales could still be reasonably expected. At the game‘s $30 asking price, that translates to $120 million to $150 million in unrealized revenue by skipping PS4.

In the name of advancing the state of goat simulation fidelity, Coffee Stain has implicitly deemed that lost revenue acceptable. Still, leaving that much money on the table is a gutsy move that better pay off creatively or risk alienating franchise fans unable to play the sequel.

Only time will tell whether Goat Simulator 3 achieves enough commercial success on next-gen hardware alone to justify abandoning PS4 and Switch. But given the far larger legacy console installed bases, it‘s an undeniable financial risk.

Summary – Understandable, Yet Still Disappointing

As a diehard Goat Simulator fan myself still enjoying PS4 as my primary console, not being able to join the goat chaos day one is quite disappointing. And considering the PS4‘s far larger market share vs. new platforms, many players likely feel the same.

However, the explanation behind Goat Simulator 3 skipping PS4 does make reasonable sense. By harnessing next-gen‘s raw power, Coffee Stain can bring the open worlds and absurd physics to new heights not possible on aging hardware. Having experienced the evolution of Goat Simulator‘s madness across three games now, I can appreciate the developers‘ commitment to pushing boundaries.

Still, should PS4 and Switch ports materialize a year or two post-launch like we‘ve seen with other former exclusives, the long wait may ultimately be worth it. In the meantime, I‘ll be bleating jealously at the next-gen early adopters living our goat dreams already. Maybe I can convince my wife those new consoles somehow found their way under the Christmas tree this year after all!