- Xbox shifts away from exclusivity, opening doors to multiplatform releases
- Upcoming titles like Hellblade 2 and Avowed to debut on PS5 alongside Xbox
- Iconic franchises like Halo and Forza may soon arrive on rival consoles.
In a move that’s shaking up the gaming landscape, Xbox appears to be shifting away from permanent console exclusivity.
Expanding Xbox Games Across Platforms
According to industry insider Jez Corden, Microsoft is poised to release its first-party titles on rival platforms like PlayStation and Nintendo over time.
He said in X post, “the era of Xbox having permanent console exclusives is over”. Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that four of its first-party games—Pentiment, Hi-Fi Rush, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves—would be making their way to PlayStation and Nintendo consoles.
What motivated Microsoft to take this major step? It was a part of a broader strategy, aimed to recover the substantial amount of $68.7 that was spent on purchasing Activision Blizzard.
The trend continued with announcements that upcoming titles such as Doom: The Dark Ages and Indiana Jones and The Great Circle would also be available on PS5. Corden suggests that Xbox’s future releases may launch simultaneously across multiple platforms.
This includes highly anticipated games like Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Avowed, and South of Midnight. This changes indicates that Xbox is preparing its first-party studios for multiplatform development, potentially releasing games on PS5 and other platforms concurrently with their Xbox and PC launches.
Redefining the Future of Console Gaming
Titles like Halo, Gears of War, and Forza could potentially see releases on PlayStation platforms. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has previously stated that the company has no “red lines” regarding which Xbox titles could head to PlayStation, even leaving the door open for a PS5 release of the next Halo game.
However, Microsoft has met with questions after sharing this new approach, the Xbox community has expressed mixed reactions to this news. Some fans feel that expanding to other platforms diminishes the value and speciality of owning an Xbox console, while others appreciate the broader accessibility.
Spencer has addressed these concerns, emphasizing that the goal is to strengthen Xbox franchises and increase player engagement across all platforms.
As the gaming industry evolves, the lines between platform exclusivities are becoming increasingly blurred. Xbox’s move towards a more inclusive approach could set a precedent for the future of gaming, where accessibility and player choice take center stage.
