Back in the day, exclusive games were the selling point of a console. Nintendo had Mario, Sony had Uncharted, and Microsoft had Halo. Today, however, theXboxbrand is already pivoting against this trend, with games likeIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-party games arriving on competing platforms (PlayStation 5).
According to a report fromWindows Central’s Jez Corden, you better get used to this. More often than not, first-party Xbox games will no longer be exclusive.
At this year’s The Game Awards, we already saw an example of this happening:The Outer Worlds 2, a former console exclusive from Obsidian Entertainment, was confirmed for a PlayStation release.Avowed, another game currently in development by Obsidian, is still Xbox exclusive; for now.
Corden also states that deciding to keepSenua’s Saga: Hellblade IIa console exclusive was a mistake.
What the Future of Xbox Looks Like
This is just the beginning. Major Xbox tentpoles likeHaloandGears of Warare expected to appear on a PlayStation console. This ties into the recent Xbox marketing strategy, “This is an Xbox,” where anything that can play games is an Xbox.
Spencer has long wanted to create an environment where gamers can play Xbox games as they see it, whether on an Xbox console, PC, cloud, or even competing platforms. While many scoffed at the idea of Microsoft spending nearly $70 billion purchasing Activision and then keepingCall of Dutyon PlayStation hardware, that’s precisely what they did. Of course,Call of Dutywas already multiplatform. Seeing the nextHalogame appear on PS5 is, to some, sacrilegious.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Now Lets You Stream Owned Games On Console
Xbox owners can now stream games they own on their consoles, as well as on multiple devices.
Here’s the thing, though: We’ve seen plenty of cases of the console exclusive strategy backfiring across the industry, not just with Microsoft and Xbox.Square Enix was disappointed earlier this year in the sales ofFinal Fantasy XVIandFinal Fantasy VII: Rebirth, two console-exclusive games for PlayStation 5. A PC version ofFinal Fantasy XVIwas released in September of this year, after the May 2024 financial results mentioned in the previously linked story. A PC version of Rebirth is due out early next year. There are currently no plans for an Xbox version of either game.
Fans have expressed frustration with Sony’s release cadence for their console exclusive games; we’refinallyseeingThe Last of Us Part IIrelease on PC a whopping four years after its PlayStation 4 debut. Don’t get me started onBloodborne, either.
So yes, while it’s crazy to consider that we’ll be playingGears of WarandForzaon a PlayStation console, it’s just a smart business decision. Why limit your customer base when you don’t have to?
