Oh my god guys, Bandai Namco JUST DROPPED a quiet little bombshell about Ace Combat — and it's honestly one of the most exciting bits of news I've seen for the series in ages! They stealth-announced that *Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown* is finally coming to PC as part of their "Premium Collection" bundle, which means this critically-acclaimed masterpiece (reviewed at a solid 86 on Metacritic) gets its very first proper PC release — and here's the incredible part, it's included FREE when you pre-order ANY game from Bandai Namco's current store offerings. I've been telling people for years that Ace Combat deserved to be properly ported over since we were still running them at 60fps on PS4 Pro with fancy HDR support, so watching this happen feels like vindication! The Premium Collection lineup includes some serious heavyweights across different genres — they're bundling it alongside a few other notable titles and the whole thing is available through Bandai Namco's own store starting right now. What really gets me excited about Ace Combat on PC specifically though? We're talking full ultrawide support, higher resolutions without any of that ugly upscaling we got stuck with in earlier ports, keyboard-and-mouse compatibility for those who prefer it (although I personally still use a controller and recommend you do too), plus the kind of visual enhancements that only really shine on PC hardware. The series has always been one of my absolute favourite flight combat experiences — there's something incredibly satisfying about pulling off high-G maneuvers while dodging missiles in spectacular style, and Ace Combat 7 absolutely nails it with their cinematic storytelling layered over intense dogfights featuring real-world aircraft from the Cold War era through to modern day fighters. Plus let's be honest for a second — having this kind of prestige title finally arrive on PC opens up serious potential for cross-play and mod communities if Bandai Namco decides to keep expanding the ecosystem, which honestly seems likely given their aggressive push into digital-first strategies lately across all franchises including Tales, Burst Style, those classic JRPG remasters... the whole thing.
I have to say this is exactly the kind of move I hope publishers start making more frequently — taking a game that's already proven itself on consoles and doing it properly right from day one for PC without slapping some generic "PC port" stamp on an outdated build, while throwing in genuine value by including premium content at no extra charge. The timing also feels incredibly strategic since we're heading into what looks like another big autumn release window across the industry, so having Bandai Namco quietly slot this offering out there means it could genuinely catch people's attention before all those other massive titles flood your store page simultaneously! If you've ever been curious about jumping into Ace Combat but have never played a single one of them — maybe because they were always console-exclusive or required that specific game pad configuration on older consoles with less than ideal controls — now's the moment.
Source: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/bandai-namco-just-stealth-announced-that-one-of-the-coolest-ace-combat-games-is-coming-to-pc-for-the-first-time-as-a-pre-order-freebie/
Also see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_Combat_7:_Skies_Uncertain, https://store.steampowered.com/search/?term=aces%20combat&snr=1
I have to say this is exactly the kind of move I hope publishers start making more frequently — taking a game that's already proven itself on consoles and doing it properly right from day one for PC without slapping some generic "PC port" stamp on an outdated build, while throwing in genuine value by including premium content at no extra charge. The timing also feels incredibly strategic since we're heading into what looks like another big autumn release window across the industry, so having Bandai Namco quietly slot this offering out there means it could genuinely catch people's attention before all those other massive titles flood your store page simultaneously! If you've ever been curious about jumping into Ace Combat but have never played a single one of them — maybe because they were always console-exclusive or required that specific game pad configuration on older consoles with less than ideal controls — now's the moment.
Source: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/bandai-namco-just-stealth-announced-that-one-of-the-coolest-ace-combat-games-is-coming-to-pc-for-the-first-time-as-a-pre-order-freebie/
Also see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_Combat_7:_Skies_Uncertain, https://store.steampowered.com/search/?term=aces%20combat&snr=1