Microsoft Boss Implies More Xbox Games Could Come to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch

Over the last few weeks, a number of once Xbox exclusive games have been released on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch: Hi-Fi Rush, Grounded, Pentiment, and Sea of Thieves. In Microsoft's 2024 third quarter earnings conference call, CEO Satya Nadella talked about this new approach, and how this expansion is already proving successful. Satya says that Microsoft is "committed to meeting players where they are by bringing great games to more people on more devices." This publishing approach has also been bolstered by the recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard. 

"...we're expanding our games to new platforms, bringing four of our fan-favorite titles to Nintendo Switch and Sony PlayStation for the first time," Nadella continued. "In fact, earlier this month, we had 7 games among the top 25 on the PlayStation store, more than any other publisher." 

Xbox Struggles

While Nadella does not outright say that we'll see more of Xbox's games released on PS5 and Switch, that would seem to be the implication. After the highly-successful Xbox 360, Microsoft's consoles have struggled to find an audience, even as some of the company's first-party games have been well-received critically. Bringing these games multi-platform makes it possible for Microsoft to offset high development costs, while also bolstering the audience for online games like Sea of Thieves. The trade-off, of course, is that the move could lead to even less people buying Xbox consoles, and that's causing a lot of uncertainty for those that have already done just that. 

At this time, Microsoft has not announced plans to bring any of its other games multi-platform, but there have been rumors surrounding two of the company's biggest 2024 releases: Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Both of these games would make a lot of sense as multi-platform releases; the original Hellblade actually debuted first on PlayStation 4, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has attracted a ton of attention since it was first announced. Of course, Microsoft could also opt to bring other existing games to PS5, like Halo Infinite or Forza Horizon 5. 

Could Halo Come to PS5?

Halo would be one of the most interesting series for Xbox to bring multi-platform. Master Chief has basically been the Xbox mascot since 2001, and the series has never been brought to another platform outside of PC (though there was apparently a Halo DS game in the works once). It's hard to imagine seeing Halo Infinite or The Master Chief Collection on PS5, but it could be a smart move, and help gain more interest in things like the Halo streaming series. For now, those games will remain exclusive to Xbox, but it will be interesting to see if that changes in the future. 

Are you surprised that Xbox games have been selling well on PS5? Do you think we'll see more games make the jump? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!