Xbox Will Continue To Ship More Games On PlayStation And Nintendo

Its madness that Halo is all but confirmed for PS5. MS and Phil can spin it all they want but the fact they have been reduced to putting Halo on Playstation is an utter failure on how MS/Phil has handled Xbox. Imagine if Nintendo out Mario on Playstation/Xbox? Yeah very hard to imagine.

@DennisReynolds it’s not that big of a deal, we will still be able to play halo why does it matter who gets to play

@Prestige-worldwide Lmao the biggest Xbox franchise releasing on Xbox historic biggest competitor isn’t that big of deal? It’s ridiculous you want to excuse or minimize it like that, it’s a big deal no matter your stance is on it.

And the issue for me and many is not about who gets to play what, but the future of the platform itself, this will inevitably result is even lower sales for the consoles, one topic Phil didn’t mention is the brutal collapse in Xbox console sales, how long before they decide it’s more profitable to just publish in other platforms? With ever-dwindling sales it only makes that scenario more likely.

@IOI the more games they come out with being of good quality than people will want to subscribe to game pass, game pass is why I have an Xbox

The year when Xbox could finally capitalize on PlayStation having a bad look cause of massive cancellations amidst a failed strategy with an absolute killer first-party lineup they choose… to port that lineup and the biggest franchise Xbox has to PlayStation. Just baffles me.

@Prestige-worldwide Why would anyone buy an Xbox next gen when all of Xbox 1st party games will be on PS6? You say Gamepass but here's the thing this Gen has proving Gamepass isn't actually that big and doesn't sell consoles. There's no real reason to own a Xbox anymore when all of its games will be on PS6 and Switch 2. MS are going to become the next Sega and that sucks for everyone.

@IOI To be honest this is a great year for both PS and Xbox. Got to remember Death Stranding 2 and the new Ghost game are hitting PS5 this year and its all but confirmed the entire GoW Greek Saga will be getting a remaster this year to tie with the series anniversary. In fact throw in the Switch 2 and all 3 console makers are having a great line up for 2025.

@DennisReynolds I will agree this gen wasn’t great with games but their line up is promising now. I’m predicting game pass will grow as more games start being produced

@Prestige-worldwide It won't grow because most people like owning games more then renting them. MS always have that "great line up" at the start of the year and nothing changes. Gamepass is not going to grow especially with the constant price hikes and downgrades it gets yearly now.

@DennisReynolds everyone I know has game pass because it’s the best deal but that’s just me and I’m happy with paying less for games

@IOI incredibly well said.

@DennisReynolds It won't grow because most people like owning games more then renting them

If that was the case it wouldn't have grew to the state that it's in in the first place. The whole notion of owning and not owning doesn't hold much weight these days - given that the gaming world strongly favours digital over physical.

Its madness that Halo is all but confirmed for PS5. MS and Phil can spin it all they want but the fact they have been reduced to putting Halo on Playstation is an utter failure on how MS/Phil has handled Xbox.

Not really. The sheer cost of dev is skyrocketing. People are quick to forget about that, but first to moan about price hikes to games (£60 to £70 - in fact there was hopes that Rockstar would price hike GTA so that the rest of the world could follow). I mean look at SE. They themselves, a predominantly exclusive third party company for decades, have come out and said that multiplat is now essential.

The reason it's so alien to most is because we've all grown up with exclusive consoles and exclusive games. The more costs rise (and they will), the more money a company has to make. Companies have tried to mitigate costs in several ways, but are met with criticism out the gate and even boycotting (price hikes, micro transactions, etc...)

Look at all the studio closures over the last few years alone. Dev costs are ridiculously expensive - and even just one flop can break a company. MS putting games on other platforms is part of a strategy that only improves the Xbox ecosystem - and others will follow suit as years go by.

It baffles me that people think this is breaking point for Xbox. They've never been stronger imo. I certainly don't boot up my Xbox, load up a game, and stare at the screen relishing that no one outside of Xbox can play this or that. I load up a game and I enjoy. Which is what (I wager) the vast majority of gamers do. It really isn't that big a deal...

Good. The more £££ they make the more they can reinvest into the ecosystem. Like it or lump it, MS are churning games out like never before. Did I load up Indiana and cry that it's also releasing elsewhere? No. I loaded it up and had a hell of a good time. It makes zero difference and no matter what people say, this is the direction the industry is heading in. MS just so happens to be doing it first. Dev costs are through the roof and continue to rise. It's smart, not insulting.

@Kaloudz even PlayStation is saying that they’re games are getting more expensive and had to release on Pc, sure it’s not as drastic as Xbox but it’s definitely going to increase as games are becoming more expensive

@Prestige-worldwide I think it dilutes the game pass brand long term.

I assumed that halo would come to PlayStation eventually through a PS-native game pass client, but why would anyone sub to game pass without compelling exclusive content?

Like it or lump it, MS is the leader in games streaming services. They need to start acting like that and less like third in the console business.

Netflix doesn’t share originals because it dilutes their service value.

@Boogaloo_Jenkins game pass has proven to be profitable during a pretty slow couple of years so as the games coming starts to ramp up we will see an increase in game pass subscribers

@Boogaloo_Jenkins Taking away Microsoft owed games I've played plenty of mulpi-platform games on Game Pass, XBox games going to PS5 doesn't change the fact I'm saving a fortune. To the point I got a PS5 with PS+ and playing there exclusives on a Black Friday subscription deal.

This will be the death of Xbox consoles.

@DennisReynolds so I guess PlayStation isn't failing!!!! 9 cancelled live service games, 3rd party exclusives bombing. 1st party not selling great on there own platform. If Sony wasn't panicking then. They will be now as how do they compete against a competitor that plans to dominate all platforms including their own.

@Lrapsody if the rest of the Xbox eco system grows. The console regardless how many users play on it will benefit. So no the console isn't going anywhere.

@Lrapsody Nope. Not even close. They didn't drop 100 billion to step out. They spent 100 billion to compete.

@Prestige-worldwide Exactly. And people blindly assume "well it's MS, they can afford it" when in actual fact, MS needs growth just like everyone else. They ain't running the Xbox division as a charity. They're looking at the current climate, the state of the market, and they're making moves to ensure a strong future - and like it or lump it, you sell more when you're products are available elsewhere as well.

Dev costs are notoriously expensive and they're only getting more expensive. MS will not be the only ones going multiplat in the years to come. It just so happens to be that they're the first to do it on this scale.

Sell Games elsewhere and use the money to keep the price of the GPU subscription down.

I think it’s a bad thing but i’m at a point now where it’s time to sit back and just enjoy (okay perhaps not enjoy) the craziness of what is about to happen. Xbox wants to self destruct then whatever - unless they know something we don’t.

Clearly more and more internal studios wanted to release Multiplatform. I wonder if Playstation Studios are going to see Xbox dominate the charts and wish they could be Multiplatform too. E.g. could Insomniac be unhappy if Sony always says no?

And now more and more spending on Playstation will actually be on Xbox games, how much consumer cash will be left over for things like Ghost of Yotei?

I really am interested in how Sony feels about all this. Like it’s good for them but there will definitely be some concerns. It’s more competition on their own platform.

Either way though I do think this should never have happened and people just want it for the drama and to have great games on their Playstation. Short term wins but massive damage to the industry (in my opinion).

I’m not convinced about the strategy (longer term) but I’m over it already. The only thing that matters to me is that Microsoft continue to pump out lots of quality content.

I have the option to buy some games on PS5 Pro but I’d rather play everything Day 1 on Series X with GPU.

When I say Day 1 obviously I mean Day 1,3 or 5 😃

@DennisReynolds the main reason Xbox has lost to PlayStation has been its lack of quality games. Plus they don't market the brand. But both are changing as Xbox has games, they are marketing the brand. Plus soon Xbox will be everywhere to the point people won't be able to ignore the brand. So if the eco system grows. The console benefits as it's part of the eco system.
As for PlayStation. They literally threw there games down the toilet which could take a decade to recover from. So they are loosing revenue which effects the quality of games. Means less revenue for marketing. Plus Ninja Gaidens 4 announcement of Xbox publishing 3rd party on all platforms. Will mean its harder & more expensive to secure 3rd party exclusives. Which could effect people choice next generation.

@Prestige-worldwide firstly I'd like to agree that the doom and gloom around Xbox is blown out of proportion by some and they have an amazing line up of games for 2025. You say that gamepass has been profitable and I'd be interested where you read that cos as far as I've seen Microsoft hasn't really released any stats on that.
Also you might be a bit optimistic about the upcoming games really increasing subscribers as Indy and COD barely registered an increase. It seems to me that gamepass has somewhat plateaued (at least on Xbox anyway).

@gollumb82 stop worrying about the corporate side of things.

This. 1000000%.

Whilst I've had doubts on the future of Xbox hardware for some time now, as a Software Publisher, Microsoft are in a very strong position and should continue to do well.
What I particularly like about this interview is what they have finally acknowledged, and I've been saying for a long time as an ex AAA dev: developers want their games to played by as many people as possible. Bethesda and ABK studios will be happy to know their games are not captive to a subset of gamers and will reach so many more.
I love Xbox (I worked directly with them), not Microsoft, so it's nice to hear Phil continue to commit to future hardware. But if you take a step back and look at the trajectory of sales it's not hard to imagine them dropping hardware all together, even if that's a few years off. Microsoft are, and always have been a software dev company with hardware there to support those software goals. I think by the time the most significant proportion of their revenue comes from other sources, they will strongly consider if they need their own hardware. I'm hoping they will release a PC built for TV with new gaming OS, but I suspect even Phil doesn't know what he will be asked to preside over in the future. Fingers crossed for future Xbox hardware for a long time to come. I'll concede another platform is my platform of choice, but I always want that choice.

@Titntin yeah, that's how they differentiate themselves. The software side seems to be taken care of now, the ecosystem is good with MS rewards, play anywhere, cloud and game pass. Now they just need interesting hardware, and the PC under the TV model is the best way I can think of

Honestly couldn't care anymore about all this I just want to play games and talk about them on here to much politics in the industry I'm sick of it!

I want everybody to be able to play on Xbox and it does mean more of our games shipping on more platforms

Excellent!
I also want to play on Xbox, and if people with Nintendo and PlayStation as their primary platforms get to enjoy games from Microsoft owned developers than the merrier it is.
I've read an article a while back on EG about MacchineGames being asked about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS, and they seemed genuinely excited for the opportunity of the game being played on more platforms, hopefully Switch 2 s well.

"We're not going to put walls up"

That's great! Leave the putting up walls to Trump supporters😜.

I guess we will see how it all pans out in the next couple of years.

If a smattering of Xbox games come to the other platforms that might be OK.

If they are about to go full content dump on the other platforms then Xbox is just a third party publisher who will in time see no financial advantage to running their own eco-system.

I wish they had more balls quite frankly. The line-up this year is looking quite frankly astounding. Imagine if every one of those games was exclusive... no one can tell me that doesn't sell hardware and by extension that sweet 30% cut on everything else sold on the platform.

But this is all about more money right now.

@Isolte But your comment is about the article.

Next generation is happening, but will it sell enough units to maintain mainstream third party support? Time will tell. Will this next generation console sell enough units to justify further hardware R&D being greenlit by Microsoft executives? Time will tell. Will Xbox consoles ultimately end up as sacrificial lambs in the pursuit for greater profits? Time will tell. Will I be playing games on the ‘Xbox Prime’ or SteamOS/PS6 in a few years time? Time will tell.

The only certainty is uncertainty. These are uncharted waters.

@Isolte My point is that your comment has nothing to do with what I said, but with the article.

Smart move by Microsoft. Release their first party games on GP service (Day one) and on PS5 (at $69). The whole planet can enjoy their games. On a side note, cann't wait to play Avoud & Fable on PS5 Pro in the near future.

@DennisReynolds they just want more money. And they can via becoming the biggest publisher around.

I don’t think it’s a bad thing, as a consumer we can play xbox’s games however we want, we’re not tethered to a box.

@cragis0001 The PS5 outsold both Xbox and Switch combined last year. MS has waved the white flag and Halo will be on PS5 most likely Pro enhanced meaning it will look and play better on PS5 Pro then Series X. I bet Sony can't believe their luck they have no competition anymore.

@Isolte Well, then you are confused. I haven't said anything about blame and you are using Sony/Xbox fans, me blaming, Microsoft's narrative and poor messaging in a way that has nothing to do with what I said.

@Banjo- Big and better then ever yet Halo is coming to PS5 and Switch 2 and the Series consoles have sold far worse then the X1 and Gamepass subs have ground to a halt.

@Banjo-

The first and only people saying everyday that Xbox is dying are PS fans/Xbox haters

Right?
It's starts of with Microsoft is bringing their games to [insert platforms], Xbox is finished. No more Xbox hardware from Microsoft, once they are done with the gloating they flourish it with the obligatory this will be/is terrible for everyone. Hard to make it up but here we are😅.

Nothing we didn't already know, yet the same few posters are making basically the same few posts again. Seriously, spend less time belly aching on the internet about things out of your control and use that time on your hobbies.

Xbox is stacked this year, as is Gamepass. I got a year's worth of GP off CD Keys in the January sale for £80 - that is the biggest bargain in the history of the medium. Yet some here act with absolute incredulity that some people are happy with Microsoft and aren't hugely bothered about their exclusives going multi platform.

I'm happy with my Series X, happy with Gamepass, and not really bothered by their current trajectory. We know they'll still be here next generation so that's the best part of a decade.

Quite frankly, there's too much to worry about in the 'real' world to get bent out of shape over a videogame console.

Xbox players receive new games day-1 on GPU and Switch(2)/PS/PC players can experience them on their platform of choice. Win-Win!

@Isolte No. I know exactly what I said and I don't need to change my mind because of somebody disagreeing. That is not me. The thing is that I haven't said what you said I said, that's why I need to clarify.

You said that I am blaming Sony fans for Microsoft's narrative and poor messaging, when I'm not even discussing Microsoft's narrative. Then you said that what I said is not true at all and also use my liking for Xbox (that is not unconditional like you say) to discredit me. Do you know what's true? I haven't heard a single Xbox owner or serious journalist saying that Xbox is dying.

"Oh no! Halo won't be exclusive to my preferred plastic device."

The pros of Halo coming to Playstation far outweighs the cons. Halo is essentially a shell of its former self and any boost to its player base is a good thing. If MCC releases on Playstation, every multi-player lobby will be packed with thousands of players. The game would see a resurgence like never before. If you are unable to see this, then I'd wager you don't actually want Halo to succeed.

MS are making more money than Nintendo because that's what they are good at. Too many observations are fixated on console sales when it's the services and software that make the profits. Right now I have my Series X and I'm enjoying the majority of my games on there with PS5s ever slimming offerings of 1st party exclusives I'm interested in. In the future I might just go PC and Switch 2 as Nintendo is the one who just has so many must have exclusive via 1P and 3P.

Regarding the "concerns" about the future of Xbox, Xbox consoles are Windows machines since 2013. Microsoft is running their Play Anywhere program since then, that gives players a choice of console and PC at no extra cost, so why is it catastrophic that now some Xbox games are available on PS, when PS is a small market compared to PC? So small that is not even enough for the maker of PS?

Microsoft is earning 70% of every sale on PS and is competing with Sony's own exclusives, that are not selling enough already, on the PS store. So it's not as bad as it seems for Microsoft and not as good as it seems for PS.

If PC didn't destroy Xbox, I assure you that PS won't, as much as some people want that to happen. If that happened, though...

Believe me, that's something that a person that likes Sony so much would never want to see.

Yeah yeah, a dark future that is.
Just preventing from low sales in cost of own games and ***** on old fans.

In other words, xbox has the exact same strategy and messaging from one week ago, one month ago, etc.

This story never dies but it also never changes.

People, let’s just play games, if you don’t like the new direction it’s fine but you don’t have to doom and gloom every time, besides, i think less people are starting to care less about console wars

@mac_da_man Not at all! I always say that it's normal to have preferences. All fans are respectable. I'm sure you were not referring negatively to me, but to those "fanboys" (like you say) that disrespect other people on a daily basis for liking another console that is not their favourite and that go to sites they dislike just to do so. I only come here because it's an Xbox site and I like Xbox, and I only post to say my honest opinion on the topics. I'm often on NL because I grew up with Nintendo and have all their consoles except NES and Virtual Boy and I also have a PS4 since launch like my profile says. However, I don't go to NL or PS to disrespect anyone despite Xbox being my main console.

@DennisReynolds

I bet Sony can't believe their luck they have no competition anymore

Maybe you are right and champagne corks are popping at Sony HQ. But what about you, are you feeling lucky about it 😜..

@Kaloudz yup 100% agree. In addition, I think that if ps5 had not sold quite so well, then Sony too would have released on Xbox. Only reason they don't, I believe, is that there aren't enough series consoles out there to make doing so attractive. I can totally see them watching Switch 2 with interest though.
In fact, didn't they recently send a Horizon game to Switch? 🤔

I have ZERO issues with this!

It's not as if EVERY Xbox Game has or will be released Day/Date on Playstation and certainly unlikely to be offered Day 1 on Sony/Nintendo Sub Services.

Yes you may be able to play more and more Xbox games on Playstation/Switch in the future, but I still expect a number of them to be EXCLUSIVE for a period of time. If Starfield releases on PS5, so what? Xbox gamers have been able to play it for over a year, could play it 'Day 1' (even for 'free' with their Game Pass Subscription) so by the time it releases on PS5, its 'OLD' news.

Avowed, South of Midnight, Fable etc are likely to be Exclusive - even if only for a year or two. By which time, these games aren't 'selling' on Xbox, saren't even selling Xbox hardware or Game Pass Subscriptions.

So not only will you have the option to play via a Subscription on Day 1 for a lot lower cost with owning Xbox hardware, you'll also get to play the majority 'first' and not have to wait for months, if not years for those to be ported to Playstation/Switch and Sold at full price...

@IOI It's about the money they're going to generate by doing so. Microsoft's job is to make money, not limit themselves by producing games for one single plastic box. There are several billion gamers in the world, why not try to reach as many as possible. Focusing on just one platform limits your revenue stream. Business 101, man.

If it would make them money. MS would release it on your fridge. That’s all MS are bothered about.

What makes that line go up most. Be that via Xbox or PS or wherever. And that’s fine.

People are annoyed because they have supported them, buying into it and then finding out, in the end it doesn’t matter.

Everybody: "Xbox has failed."

MS: "I'm sorry, what? Can't hear you with all them cash registers CHA-CHING'ing."

As long as GamePass is a thing, the Xbox is a very desirable option for gamers like me who do not mind owning titles digitally or "renting." Actually buying stuff full-price without being able to sample them is not viable for me.

I'm baffled that so many here don't understand that. Whether there are exclusives or not makes no difference to some of us, and whether or not the number of GamePass subscribers has plateaued or not is relevant only to Microsoft.

Look, what Microsoft is doing is largely an extension of what their messaging has been since the beginning of Spencer's ascension. Third-party publishing is the logical end point of all the kumbaya 'we're about building bridges, not walls,' 'everyone should be able to play games on their platform of choice,' 'all gamers matter' rhetoric I've seen being celebrated for years.

tbh this is much better and more honest than when they were messaging that way and then snapping up exclusivity for formerly multi-platform games.

Microsoft has a defined direction now, and are no longer twisting in the wind.

I can't wait for all this "Xbox betrayed me" debate to go away. It'll probably take a fews years before we can concentrate on games once again and stop talking business.
Maybe we'll lose some angry fans on the way but frankly I couldn't care less about these, and I welcome with open arms all news comers who are way over this console war BS. And I'm glad my PS friends can play the same games I do.

A little unity would be great in this broken world.

@NeutronBomb They did indeed. And good for them. I'm all for less division. I don't care much for the Sony IPs, they just don't draw me in, but I'd probably buy one or two if they come over. Can't see that happening right now for the reasons you mention, but can totally see it happening for Switch and so on. But that to the side, I don't get why so many get bothered by company stats lol Just go enjoy the games, eh? Or step outside for some air, the graphics are wonderful.

He said nothing new.
If you dont want to wait for games to be released on PS and want to play day 1 with GP - you buy xbox/pc.

Timed exclusivity and GP is enough for me.

If future pipelines are as great as 2025, I am for sure with team green.

Keeping my Ps and N for exclusives as well.

I will say it like this.
Xbox lost console war.
Its over.

However, if you want to just enjoy games, interested in xbox games first of all and like GP - you will have great time this year.

If they keep making hardware and GP is as good as this year - I am in 100%.

Question. Why do mine and others comments show as removed yet young Banjo's comment, who was clearly doing the same, has just disappeared completely.

@DennisReynolds when can I play avowed on PS? Is there a date?

Until all major games are ported and until every single game without any exceptions is day 1 on PS and N (where possible) you cant abandon platform if you are interested in xbox games.

I want to play Fable day 1 and not wait for port on PS.

They dont even have certain timelines. Why is starfield still exclusive?

@Millionski to be fair, and this sadly applies to 99% of modern games, you are better holding off from day 1 and waiting for the inevitable patches to fix/improve them.

@Isolte well you learn something new every day. Cheers man.

They should skip PlayStation and put on Nintendo only.

You keep saying 100 billion, @Kaloudz, but where did you get that figure from? Is it dodgy maths? $68.7 billion for ABK, and $7.5 billion for BZ. That totals $76.2 billion. Where did Microsoft spend the other $23.8 billion. Did is miss an acquisition...?

@Fiendish-Beaver Didn't they spend a bit on the other acquisitions prior to Bethesda? (Ninja Theory, Undead, Playground, and more?) Maybe I've overinflated 🤣

I mean, @Kaloudz, if you want to go back to the dawn of man, then sure... 🤣

@Fiendish-Beaver That's my bad 🤣 I usually say "since Xbox One" to validate my point, but now that you mention it, didn't they acquire Rare not so long back 😅

@DreamlandGem That first sentence took me back to the classroom 😳 it's been a while. How's the hammer these days? 😁

@Llamageddon Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer in an interview Windows Central revealed Xbox spends over $1 billion a year on third-party content for Xbox Game Pass and the service itself is profitable.

"We have a service that is financially viable, meaning it makes money, in Game Pass," said Spencer
This is what I have for the profitable part of they were losing money for this long game pass wouldn’t still be around and as far as subscriber increase they said cod had the most subscriber increase they’ve had, time will tell if those subscribers stay but the only way subscribers will stay if there is a steady plan of releases which they’ve lacked for so long

Excellent. We need to stop living in the exclusivity past.

@DennisReynolds
I still will buy the next XBox. Except GT7 there was no reason for me to buy a PS5. The controller from the PS5 is plastic fantastic and gives me sweaty hands.And the next XBox will be the last XBox, regardless of the sales. In ten years it is streaming only.

I dont know what people want from MS. They changed strategy and how many times these posts need to happen so people just either accept it or move on? Phil literally said nothing new. “Games are coming to other platforms”: does NOT mean no timed exclusivity and does NOT mean tomorrow halo/gears/starfield is launching on Ps and switch 2.

Anyways, they are still doing timed exclusives, GP lineup is great. Would never sell my series X for PS at this point.

If you want 360 days back and you want xbox to outsell playstation - thats never happening. Period.

If you want to play good games - this year is awesome for xbox.

@Rog-X "a game that goes on the PS5 will cost them £70 no matter if they pay for a locked priced expense Sony Subscription or not"

Or £50 physical with £45 resale value once completed. Better than digital rental.

Ok Phil… No walls. Then why have timed exclusives? Temporary walls are ok I guess. I get it, it’s a business. Just stop talking to us like we are stupid and you are the hero of the gaming industry.

I don't have a problem with first party and third party games dropping exclusivity to be more widely available because they've never possibly benefited anyone other than the console makers at most. They aren't needed for competition to encourage better games (games compete with each other from our money and engagement MORE when they're on more platforms). They don't help share the content creators have created with more gamers. They don't actually do anything to help gamers themselves. We've gotten trapped into this toxic loop of justifying buying a plastic box over bragging rights that XYZ game isn't available for other gamers. Guys, how terrible is that?

The only reason exclusives have ever existed is to try and force gamers to buy specific hardware. Not just competitors hardware, but to force upgrading and to justify a lack of backwards compatibility. And consoles themselves don't even have much to show for that. The peak is still the PS2 (or around the PS2 if the switch did overtake it). In over 3 decades, not a single console has broken 200 million sales. If Xbox is saying that exclusives aren't worth it to their strategy anymore, then I have no problem with that considering exclusives have always been such a toxic way of "competing" that only they (and other platform holders) ever possibly benefited from. As an Xbox user, I'm seeing Xbox be supported by more developers and more publishers more than ever and more consistently than ever. All the third party exclusives that convinced me to buy a Playstation and even some of the ones that got me to buy a Switch, are now day one on Xbox (many with Xbox Play Anywhere because for whatever reason Japanese publoshers support that more than western ones). I have no concern that Xbox will drop hardware entirely, and even less concern about my library on Xbox if they do. Cloud Gaming and Xbox Play Anywhere future proofs Xbox in a lot of ways people aren't acknowledging. Xbox is also the only console with a good proven track record of backwards compatibility even prior to this latest generational transition (meanwhile Nintendo is so bad about it that in 2024 people were questioning if the Switch 2 was backwards compatible, and its still fairly likely that they'll follow their own pattern and not make the next device backwards compatible).

It shouldn't be lost what is happening elsewhere in the gaming industry. EVERYONE is supporting PC. Including Sony. And years ago that'd be less of a threat, but now the Steam Deck and SteamOS are here to stay and only improving by the minute, and a steam deck costs as little as $400 (not on sale) and is as powerful as the formerly $400 PS4. For a handheld that's insane, but the bigger threat is that Steam natively offers both Xbox and PS first party games and you can easily emulate Nintendo games which not even Nintendo offers on their current systems (especially if you don't want to pay for a subscription service). Then Windows Gaming handhelds came also bringing the costs and barriers of entry down. Now we're getting windows gaming handhelds with SteamOS (and you'll be able to install steamOS on anything). The Legion Go S is launching with SteamOS at only $500. That's REALLY close to projected Switch 2 prices. Meanwhile Sony is somehow chasing PCs with the more powerful hardware that costs upwards of $800 (depending on tax and buying additional components that should be standard). We can also look at how Sony is doing in terms of following their exclusive strategy... and it's not good. Third Party partners like Square have publicly stated they regret doing exclusives with Sony and that exclusives no longer make sense. Most have just abandoned console exclusivity and more are looking to follow. First party is umm... yikes. Quality is still up there. Quality is amazing. But there have been so, SO few first party PS games this generation. Fewer than ever. Sony has also subjected their fans to "remasters" of games from last generation in an attempt to make up for this. Sony's games division is facing increasingly shrinking margins. One major strategy in dealing with this was building live service games and they've literally all failed at launch or been internally canceled except Helldivers 2 (which was a major success). Sony has now literally bought a studio to make a live service game and then killed both the game and the studio when it bombed on release. Nintendo is the leading example of the best a console can be, and I have to say I don't want that for Xbox (and I don't even think it's possible as they don't have the loyalty and nostalgia of Nintendo). Nintendo has to control costs massively and innovate with a product that doesn't directly compete with any other console to see it's success, which again is at best slightly more than the PS2 peak. It's not bad and probably the best a console can hope for at this time (and for a company like Nintendo that is solely in the video game industry more than good enough for them), but frankly I think Xbox can be greater. Much greater. I think they have a strategy that can make Xbox the face of gaming itself. Will they execute it well enough? Ehh.... tbh Microsoft doesn't have the track record. As with all things, we'll see. For now, I'm just saying I'm not against them getting rid of exclusives. Really the writing has been on the wall since they announced same day on Steam. PS isn't even there yet and Nintendo hasn't even tried. Xbox is always like a decade ahead of the curve (which does bode poorly for them marketing wise; when Xbox started same day PC gamers complained that there's no reason to buy an Xbox, but now that PS is starting to do it it's A-OK and something to applaud).

Xbox first party is MASSIVE and all of this growing has happened over the course of less than 10 years. In 2018 they built up from having like 5 in house studios and formed Xbox Game Studios as the new internal publishing business unit in 2019 (unfortunately right as covid was ramping up). Then they were approached with the opportunity to buy Zenimax (BGS) and Activision (ABK) and took it. Now they're sitting as one of the biggest and most prolific game companies out there. There's still a lot of growing pains, but we're largely seeing the successes pop out now, and for all the growing pains they've only really closed Arkane Austin (with Toys for Bob going independen and Tango Gameworks getting sold to another publisher). That's not bad. Sony has closed more studios in this same time frame. As have many other publishers. It's certainly not a competition
The layoffs still aren't to be forgotten, but in a time where other publishers and game companies have been shrinking a LOT Xbox has grown bigger than ever. I'm not worried about them at all and they present a strategy I want to succeed. One that benefits gamers and the gaming industry, not some circle jerk of bragging rights (even the only benefit it has for console sales is keeping them stagnat). Xbox WILL have to find more ways to grow on all platforms including console and will have to address shifting the narrative and building up in a landscape that has been shaped by exclusives for decades. That's their uphill battle, but if it's one they want to fight I'm all for it.

@JazzieJeff1975 I think the problem is that he talks to us at all. Neither Nintendo nor Sony do. Actually Nintendo screams and shouts at their fans whenever they do want to talk and threaten them with lawsuits when they present fan art or fan content. Phil talks as if Xbox doesn't live in a world where strategies change. Xbox talks like that. But it isn't. They didn't know they were buying all of Activision Blizzard, Activision approached them and because they weren't crazy they got into talks and pushed the aquistion through. Microsoft also didn't expect as much push back from government authorities as they got and for it ALL to be centered around exclusives and Console wars (well the CMA made up the excuse of cloud gaming which everyone (even PS fans) called BS on). Xbox needs to do more actual marketing, not fireside chat interviews that only discuss plans and sentiments at Xbox IN THE MOMENT. Very, very few consumer businesses do that for a reason. The only ones that kinda get away with it are the ones small enough for nothing to ever change much.

Xbox in hardware is cooked fam. GG’s wrap it up. Should just focus on shipping everything everywhere at launch to maximize on sales. And maybe give games proper physical releases for ps5 and switch 2 since Xbox doesn’t give a damn about Xbox physical copies.

Okay, trying to be as optimistic as I can about this... I still don't see how their console can possibly thrive with this. Even if they do release a handheld, what is the appeal? No exclusives, but you can buy the handheld to then... pay a monthly sub for games?

It's amusing that Redfall may end up being the final true Xbox exclusive.

Again, this is a great way to get people to stop buying your consoles.

I am glad they are going to support Nintendo Switch 2.
I hope at least a killer instinct game will be put on that device, or Perfect dark, new banjo, conquer. ,(aka all rareware games) those would do extremely well on that device.

So yeah, as both an xbox fan and nintendo fan, i am not complaining lol.

@Sifi how is that better? It’s the same thing.

What games are planned for Nintendo Switch 2 and PS5?

@IOI
I have said that for a while now.
Xbox can have its universe on all other devices apart from other consoles and are in a very good position to have battled this with consoles now and promoted Xbox consoles with all these exclusive console games that they starting to produce of course apart from COD.
I enjoy a good battle and Xbox really could have a good go now and into the next generation.

Publishing on Sony and Nintendo is just surrendering, when they have got themselves in the best position ever for a battle.

Thank you Phill for releasing more games on my beloved PS5. Just don't stop.

if you cant the competition with consoles beat them with ports..

@MrCarlos46 all of them, apparently. Timed or day one, it's clear they are now all going. Phil was asked directly in another interview if he can confirm Starfield will stay put on Xbox. His answer was simply 'no'. He then reiterated that he isn't locking games to the platform.

I think xbox will continue. I hope so anyway. Competition breeds innovation. Regardless of which platform folks choose, we need the other to push them to be better.

@themightyant there is no bad side to exclusivity. IPs is what lure people into a particular brand. For profit companies exist to make money.

I can see here that a lot of people are passionate on this topic. But, at the end of the day I think MS is doing the right thing. I am sure they are doing it for their own profit, but the reality is that this breaks down the, "I need to buy this device to play a certain game". I would expect both Nintendo and Sony shareholders to see this and say, "why aren't you doing this too because we could make more money?". I would be willing to say that within about 5 years, there won't be exclusives anymore on any platform. The world will have moved on from something that was anti-consumer and created a whole world of "console wars".

People that cling to this will just be disappointed in the same way that gaming has gone to digital distribution and microtransactions are here to stay. The reality is that these things make publishers more money and the reality of shipping games on as many platforms as possible does the same.

I would also think that in 10 years there won't be consoles anymore. Gamers will either stream from the cloud or dedicated console devices will be replaced by much more flexible PCs. PCs don't have near the limitations of consoles and they don't have the same problems they used to when installing games. I can setup a single PC with a lot of different multi-monitor configurations to play games. Consoles don't give near that capability.

@Kaloudz Totally agree.

It makes sense because the Xbox HW is being sold with loss and the game development is expensive. Thus it's best for Microsoft if customers play on somebody else's hw sold with loss but pay money for the Xbox Studios games.

xbox will become the new sega except xbox can make a lot more games then sega due to the huge workforce of activision blizzard..

@Weebleman Don’t be shocked if Xbox leaves the console space and just goes full-on publisher mode after this generation.

@MrCarlos46 If you're one of the people who think Xbox is going to abandon the console space you really don't understand the video gaming business. A HUGE chunk of Xbox users are on Game Pass and have digital libraries attached to their account, which is feeding the subscription base and helping Microsoft reap that ever so important monthly fee. Also, those who aren't subscribed to Game Pass are buying games at full price and driving sales revenue that way. Microsoft can't afford to alienate those users and leave them high and dry and expect Game Pass to grow. The amount of users subscribed on cloud and PC are not even closing to matching the amount who subscribe on console so Microsoft doesn't want to cut their Game Pass users by such a massive amount and hope they follow the service to the cloud or PC. Trust me, Xbox consoles are going nowhere.

As for Microsoft putting their games on PlayStation/PC/Nintendo, go right ahead. Reap those sales and help grow those games across the board and create yet another avenue of revenue. The only people who think this is a bad thing are people who don't understand that Microsoft's main interest isn't pleasing their hardcore base, but instead it's reaching the potential billions of folks who aren't in their ecosystem yet. Lots of eggs, lots of baskets. It's a beautiful thing and Microsoft will laugh all the way to the bank in the end. Period.

@johnedwin1969 Uh, Sega was in debt like $600M when they left the console space and Microsoft is making about $6B-$8B per quarter. Heck, this upcoming financial report, which should release this week, will likely show a $10B juggernaut of revenue which will likely become a norm for Microsoft during the holiday/COD season. When Sega halted console production they were literally on their death bed, meanwhile Microsoft is making money hand over fist and the business has never been healthier. Anyone who thinks Microsoft is going to leave the console space has a very small, if any at all, knowledge of the business.

@BSlyTheGamerGuy I know Xbox isn’t actually leaving the hardware market despite what they’re now doing, but I just wonder where they will go with an Xbox handheld. Even though I don’t own an Xbox, I somehow liked its UI more than the PlayStation UI.

This constant narrative that only PS fans are questioning Xbox future is getting tiring. Plenty of people here who own a series console have also announced concern a how MS is performing this generation due to decreased Console sales, and putting games elsewhere.

Microsoft Gaming are doing incredibly well but its clear that the console has suffered this gen, and without the console GP will suffer or need to change. Personally I could see GP becoming a 1st party sub only and that could persuade Nintendo / Sony to allow it on their platforms as the console is no longer a threat.

@Ilyn I don’t even own an Xbox, but starting to see news on what Microsoft is doing leads me to wonder what’s next for Xbox.

Playing Xbox games on other consoles will ultimately help Xbox in the end. People on PS and Nintendo will play Xbox games and if they like enough of them they will consider subscribing to game pass instead of buying games outright. Then may even consider buying an Xbox when the see they can play even more games on the console as well as cloud.

This is exactly my story. I was switch through and through. But all those good games on game pass tempted me. Especially the ones that couldn't run on a switch. I eventually decided to buy an Xbox to enjoy all the titles. I won't bother with a switch 2 now. I have successfully jumped ship.

If only 20% of Nintendo and PS owners do the same game pass and Xbox will double.

I believe this is the point of putting games on other devices.

Also I believe people are also correct that selling consoles is not the focus. Getting more people into the Xbox ecosystem is. They don't need an Xbox. This is an Xbox. Right. But you need to cater to the die hard fans out there as well. They will definitely keep making consoles to sell to the die hard fans. They will just make less of them. Sell 30 million consoles, have 100 million subscribers. 30% hard core, 70% casual gamers.

The most growth will be in the casual market. No Xbox, no problem sub to game pass. No games, no problem sub to game pass. Want to play that latest game out, no problem sub to game pass. Why buy the kids a $800 (or equivalent in local currency) console plus $500 in games will you can just buy a game pass gift card and maybe a controller.

What does that have to do with Xbox? Twice as many CoD players are on playstation than Xbox. More people play CoD on PC than playstation and Xbox combined. More people play CoD on mobile than PC, Playstation, and Xbox combined. Xbox is a blip, and that was before the disastrous last 2 years.

Heck, this upcoming financial report, which should release this week, will likely show a $10B juggernaut of revenue which will likely become a norm for Microsoft during the holiday/COD season.

Ah, one of the many people who still hasn't realized MS gaming revenue being up is from mobile games. Or do you think they're going to have some sort of weird charity for Xbox hardware, Candy Crush is killing it so it doesn't matter how little our hardware sells, it's safe?

You've seen the hardware numbers over the last 9 quarters, right? The numbers that started neck and neck with the failed Xbox One, and have sunk pretty massively 7 of the last 9 quarters?

At what point do you think MS will exit the hardware market? Is there even a number? What if they project to sell 5 million, they'll stay the course? Is that really what you guys think?

Anyone who thinks Microsoft is going to leave the console space has a very small, if any at all, knowledge of the business.

ha

@DreamlandGem Heyyy no need to be sorry you're just doing your job (and hell, even since your last visit to this thread you've had quite a bit of work to do it seems 😅 ).

In this interview, Phil Spencer guarantees: not all Xbox games will be released on other platforms: https://x.com/Xcension/status/1883944660298784816

@DennisReynolds if Xbox isn't competition anymore. Then why are they still buying up 3rd party exclusives? To keep games off of Xbox. Do you think Sony is happy that a rival console manufacturer's games are selling better on their platform. Do you think Sony isn't concerned that the more Xbox expands. That they get dethroned from the top spot in revenue.