The most recently publishedwas still an Xbox exclusive when it was announced - but will also be available for the PS5 in spring 2025. The title from MachineGames is following the path that has already been followed this yearandhave gone. They are also former exclusive titles for the Microsoft console that were implemented for other platforms in order to expand the target group.
And if industry insider Jez Corden (WindowsCentral) is to be believed, Microsoft will soon be at easecompletely say goodbye to the concept of Xbox exclusives. The software and hardware giant's plans therefore only provide for a maximum of time exclusivities.
Of course, this has not been officially confirmed by Microsoft, but this decision would no longer surprise me.There has been too much evidence in the past 12 months – and even before – that this step will take place at some point.
The clues are increasing
For example, I remember this, during the four first-party games (Sea of Thieves, Hi-Fi Rush,,) have been announced for other platforms. And here it was emphasized again that Xbox is now more than ever an open ecosystem that should be made accessible to as many players as possible on as many platforms as possible.
At the latest when Xbox boss Phil Spencer said in November that the porting of actual Xbox exclusivesthere would be “no red line”., it was actually clear to me that things could go the way Corden described in the future. That's probably why his prognosis didn't really surprise me anymore.
However, this speculation leaves me with mixed feelings.On the one hand, such a step would be logical and very consistent - after all, the complete abandonment of exclusivities would be the ultimate implementation of the ecosystem idea.
Aside from that -and Jez Corden adds that too– are big projects likeis now so expensive that you probably have to rely on sales from other platforms.
The slow farewell to Xbox consoles?
Nevertheless, such a decision would also involve a fair amount of risk. On the one hand, it would probably be the slow and final farewell to the classic console business. Of course, Microsoft wouldn't pull the plug on Xbox devices straight away -.
Without real sales arguments in the form of exclusive games, sales would probably at some point be so cosmetic that no one would shed a tear after the consoles. An Xbox console would then be purely a prestige item, but would have no economic relevance.
And on the other hand, I believe in the sentence: “Competition stimulates business”.In my opinion, strong Xbox exclusive titles would not only act as beacon titles for your own ecosystem, but could also spur Sony and Co. on to top performance alongside their own teams. And also ensure a clearer brand identity if you know that you can only get certain titles on a certain platform.
But maybe that's just a romanticized thought from someone who grew up with Xbox exclusives like Halo, Forza Motorsport or Fable, who never saw this clear association as particularly negative and for whom the name "Xbox" always comes with it linked to a physical system.
But I'll probably have to get used to the idea that Microsoft will become more of a pure service and games provider in the future than ever before. And I'm very curious to see whether this can work.
What do you think about Microsoft's alleged plans? Are Xbox exclusives still important to you or would you have a problem if all games from Xbox Game Studios were also released for other platforms in the future?
