Stellar Blade (PC)

South Korean developer Shift Up expected the PC version of Stellar Blade to sell well. The launch was ultimately so successful that the concurrent user (CCU) peak surpassed that of all other single-player games released by Sony Interactive Entertainment on PC.

Stellar Blade is another game that was previously exclusive to the PlayStation 5, but is now also being released on PC. It has been ported in-house by developer Shift Up and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment aka PlayStation Publishing. In any case, the PC version of this Unreal Engine 4 game is well executed.

Stellar Blade on PC features Nvidia DLSS 4 super resolution (upscaling) and frame generation, as well as Nvidia DLAA image enhancement and Nvidia Reflex latency reduction. Nvidia promises a performance boost of up to 3.4 times at maximum 4K settings with GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards. "The GeForce RTX 5090 delivers frame rates of up to 540 FPS. Over 300 FPS are possible with the GeForce RTX 5080 and GeForce RTX 5070 Ti. The GeForce RTX 5070 delivers over 260 FPS," according to Nvidia. Support is also provided for AMD FSR 3, including both super resolution and frame generation.

The PC version supports ultrawide (21:9) and super ultrawide (32:9) resolutions, with aspect ratios ranging from 5:4 to 32:9. Stellar Blade on PC supports unlocked frame rates. There are also high-resolution background textures that are noticeably sharper and more detailed.  While the other graphics options are adequate, they lack an explanation of what they actually do. However, the required VRAM is displayed, and the game is quite demanding in this respect. Overall, the PC version is excellent, with only a few short instances of shader compilation stutter and some aliasing. Ray tracing has not been implemented retrospectively. The PC version also supports the DualSense controller with full haptic feedback and adaptive trigger functionality. Additionally, the game now supports full customisation of the gamepad, keyboard and mouse controls. The standard mouse and keyboard controls work well.

Stellar Blade is an action-adventure game set in a post-apocalyptic world. Players take on the role of Eve, the protagonist, and set out on a mission to save humanity from an endless war with the Naytibas. They engage in fast-paced melee combat using weapons such as blades, machine guns and laser blasters. The combat system focuses on understanding the enemy and striking back at the right moment while dodging and parrying. Unlike Soulslike games, Stellar Blade is less punishing and offers greater accessibility with an easier Story Mode and additional aids, such as an Action Assistant. While combat is the main focus, there are also jump-and-run sections, environmental puzzles, and rare survival horror elements. It is also possible to improve skills and equipment. Similar titles include Black Myth: Wukong, Bayonetta, Lies of P, Sekiro and NieR. In Germany, the game has been given an 18 rating due to 'drastic violence' and 'sexual innuendos'. In any case, there are already a number of unofficial mods for the main character.

Stellar Blade was developed by Shift Up, headquartered in South Korea. The company was founded in 2013 and first attracted attention in 2022 with the release of Goddess of Victory: Nikke, a third-person action RPG (gacha) published by Level Infinite. In 2024, Stellar Blade was released for PlayStation 5 by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It sold over a million copies in the first two months after launch - a notable achievement for a new brand and exclusive title. Consequently, the game has received updates and collaboration DLCs, including NieR and Goddess Nikke. Furthermore, the IP is set to be expanded. Incidentally, the company went public after the game's launch, marking the largest IPO for a video game company in South Korea since Krafton in 2021. A PC version was hinted at as early as 2024, and even then, the sales potential was estimated to be very high, partly because PCs are more widespread than consoles in Asian markets - as evidenced by Black Myth: Wukong. Thanks to the ongoing success of Goddess of Victory: Nikke and Stellar Blade, the studio intends to expand its development capacities further and is currently working on the multi-platform RPG 'Project Witches' (working title). Founder and CEO Hyung-Tae Kim currently holds the majority of shares in the company (38.85%), followed by Tencent (34.85%).

As expected from Shift Up, the PC launch of Stellar Blade was nothing short of stellar. Two days after its release, on 14 June, it reached a concurrent user (CCU) peak of 192,078. Prior to the launch, Shift Up had already generated interest with a demo that attracted over 26,000 concurrent users. Also, Sony Interactive Entertainment is responsible for publishing the game on PC, except in China. This is in fact SIE's second most successful PC launch to date, surpassed only by Helldivers 2 (458,709 concurrent users). Other single-player titles such as Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut (77,154), God of War (73,529), Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered (66,436) and Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition (56,557) still lag considerably behind Stellar Blade's CCU peak. However, it remains to be seen whether sales will remain consistent over a longer period. In any case, the consensus among reviews and Steam user reviews is 'very positive'. Looking at the languages in which the reviews were written, it is clear that more than half are from Asia: almost 47% are in Chinese, 8.35% are in Korean; 26% are in English and 0.99% are in German.

According to the South Korean website Game Donga, Stellar Blade sold over a million copies in the first three days of its release on PC, bringing the total cumulative sales across all platforms to over three million.

Stellar Blade was released for PC on 12 June 2025, and an update has also been released for the PS5 version. This update features a new battle against Mann, the leader of the Sentinels, in Boss Challenge Mode, as well as more costumes. The game supports both Simplified Chinese and Japanese voiceovers, with facial animations that match the audio. "We hope that even more players can immerse themselves in Eve's mission and her fateful choices, with familiar languages and natural performances," said DongKi Lee, CTO and Stellar Blade Technical Director at Shift Up. In addition, the Stellar Blade x Goddess of Victory: Nikke DLC has been released for PS5 and PC. This DLC features a new boss battle, a shooting range challenge, and collectible items. On PC, the main game is available to purchase for €69.99, or the Complete Edition can be purchased for €89.99.

Conclusion

There is little to complain about in the PC version of Stellar Blade. This action-packed game runs very well on PC.

Features

• A very well-done PC port of the PS5 game
• Support for relevant PC features: DLSS 4, FSR 3, key mapping and (super) ultrawide aspect ratio, etc.
• Spectacular and action-packed battles