Xbox games on the PS5 - will Microsoft become a third-party publisher?

Has Microsoft given up on the Xbox? This question is currently the subject of lively discussion in various online forums and on X (formerly Twitter). The reason for this are various reports that point to a massive change in Microsoft's publishing strategy. According to rumours, the console manufacturer will also publish various Xbox games for the Playstation 5 and Nintendo Switch.

Which games will be released for PS5 and Switch?

These are the games for which there are the most sources and reports suggesting a port for other consoles so far.

"Hi-Fi Rush"

On 5 January, the well-known leaker Nate the Hate hinted in his podcast that a "popular Xbox game" would soon be released on the PS5 and Switch. Nate does not mention a name. Shortly afterwards, Data Miner finds T-shirt textures in Playstation and Switch colours in the new update to "Hi-Fi Rush".

The music action game "Hi-Fi Rush" was released in January 2023 for Xbox and PC. The title was celebrated by critics, but did not reach a large audience outside of Microsoft's Game Pass subscription. The PS5 and Switch ports are rumoured to be released in the first quarter of 2024.

"Sea of Thieves"

Industry insiders Stephen Totilo and Jeff Grubb reported on 8 January that the online piratesque adventure "Sea of Thieves" will be leaving the Xbox platform. According to Grubb, there are plans for the multiplayer hit to be released on PS5 and Nintendo Switch. Totilo's sources only report a PS5 port.

"Sea of Thieves" was originally released in 2018 for Xbox One and PC. After initial difficulties, the game has been able to attract more and more players, especially those with a Game Pass subscription. According to information from the developer studio, over 30 million people have played the game.

"Indiana Jones and the Great Circle"

Not only games that have already been released are to be ported to other consoles. The Verge reported on 4 February that the recently announced "Indiana Jones" game from Machine Games and Bethesda will make the leap to PS5. The Xbox and PC versions are due to be released in December 2024, with the PS5 port following just a few months later.

In the legal dispute between US regulators and Microsoft, it was revealed last year that "Indiana Jones and the Great Circle" was planned as a multiplatform game before Microsoft's Bethesda acquisition. Now the circle seems to have come full circle and Indy is finding his way back onto multiple platforms.

"Starfield"

The online magazine XboxEra dropped a real bombshell on 5 February. Several sources confirm to the publication that Bethesda's sci-fi epic "Starfield" will land on the PS5. The PS5 launch is set to take place later this year following the release of the previously announced DLC "Shattered Space". Leaker Nate the Hate confirms this with a post on X.

"Starfield" was released in September 2023 for Xbox Series X/S and PC. It was marketed as a large, Xbox-exclusive game. With over six million players at launch, it was the biggest Bethesda release of all time.

More games that could follow

After the concrete reports on the games mentioned above, the rumour mill is really starting to bubble. The "Blade" game from Bethesda announced at the Game Awards has not yet been confirmed as an Xbox-exclusive game. The assumption is that the vampire killer will also rage on the PS5. Individual voices have also been raised about a possible port of the upcoming psychological thriller "Hellblade II".

Jeff Grubb reports that the legendary Xbox game series "Gears of War" is another candidate for a Playstation port. In a job posting, internet detectives find clues that even "Halo" (!) could soon go astray. According to Andy Robinson from VGC, we should prepare ourselves for even more Xbox games on other people's consoles. XboxEra reports that Microsoft has invested heavily in PS5 devkits in order to bring even more games to Sony's platform.

What does Microsoft say about the rumours?

Xbox boss Phil Spencer announces a "business update" for next week in a post on X. The concerns of the Xbox community have been heard and the "vision for the future of Xbox" will be presented soon.

Looking at Microsoft's statements on its gaming strategy over the past few months, it's pretty clear which direction Spencer's "business update" will take.

Microsoft has already indicated several times that they want to significantly adjust their strategy in the gaming sector. In November, Xbox CFO Tim Stuart announced that they wanted Game Pass to be available on "every possible screen" on which you can game. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirms in an interview with Bloomberg that the company wants to be "a good publisher for Sony, Nintendo, PCs and Xbox". Nadella made a similar statement at a shareholders' meeting in December last year: "We are now in a position [...] to develop great games and deliver them to people on Xbox and [other] consoles as well as PC and via the cloud on mobile devices".

Why does the new strategy make (no) sense for Microsoft?

Microsoft has already published games for other consoles in the past. For example, "Minecraft" was also released for Nintendo and Playstation consoles following the takeover of developer studio Mojang in 2014. The "Ori" games also made it onto the Nintendo Switch after some time.

However, the current rumours far exceed the extent of isolated ports from the past. If the reports turn out to be true, this would mean a significant reversal of Microsoft's gaming strategy. The Redmond-based company would position itself primarily as a publisher and only secondarily as a console manufacturer. It is a reversal that could have far-reaching consequences for the entire video games landscape. However, it is highly unlikely that Microsoft will "abandon" the Xbox and withdraw completely from the hardware business.

It comes as no surprise that Microsoft is looking for new sources of revenue in the gaming sector. The production of large AAA games is becoming increasingly expensive - the Insomniac leaks last December, for example, revealed that "Spider-Man 2" cost around 300 million dollars (!). Even Sony is now forced to release formerly exclusive Playstation titles on the PC after one to two years in order to cover the immense costs.

Microsoft has also just invested a lot of money in its gaming division with the 69-billion-dollar takeover of Activision Blizzard. According to reports from insiders, the management now expects new sources of revenue quickly to justify these immense costs.

The PS5 has long since left the Xbox series consoles behind in terms of sales figures. Now that Microsoft is also releasing its games on Sony's platform, it will gain access to an audience of millions that was previously closed to it. Xbox gamers will receive Microsoft's games immediately at launch as part of the Game Pass subscription, while PlayStation customers will have to wait a few months longer and buy the games individually. Microsoft thus generates more revenue and can invest more in the development of new games. In theory, this is a win-win situation for Microsoft, the Xbox community and Playstation fans.

In practice, the question remains as to whether and for how long Xbox fans will go along with this new strategy and actually remain in the Xbox ecosystem. Many members of the Xbox community feel offended by the current development. Microsoft has failed to communicate clearly and transparently with its fans.