PS5 gamers could lose the incredible perk that saw Hell freeze over
Back to the good old days of platform exclusivity for Xbox games? Perhaps partially.
Microsoft is reportedly having internal discussions about making first-party Xbox games exclusive to first-party platforms again, which would mean fewer launches on PlayStation. The well-connected Windows Central reporter Jez Corden says the topic of exclusives is back on the table at Camp Xbox following the arrival of new boss Asha Sharma.
Loads of Xbox-made games are currently destined to cross the console divide following Starfield’s launch earlier this month. Indeed, Halo is still set to arrive on PS5 before the end of 2026. However, under the new leadership, Microsoft may decide to turn off the supply line.
“There are very very very big discussions about the exclusivity stuff going on right now,” Corden said on a recent podcast appearance (via PureXbox). “They do recognise the value – it’s just about what kind of company you want to be, at the end of the day. Do you want to be an ecosystem company first, or do you want to be a publishing company first?”
As for which games might be pulled back? Well, in a follow-up tweet Corden said that the likes of Call of Duty won’t ever be Xbox exclusive (partially due to promises Microsoft made when buying Activision Blizzard), some “single player stuff” might go back to being platform exclusive once again.
New Xbox boss Sharma seems intent on shaking things up following the departure of longtime head of platform Phil Spencer. Just yesterday it emerged that Sharma believes the price of Xbox Game Pass is too expensive and better value options need to be made available. A partnership with Netflix on a subscription bundle has also been mooted in recent weeks.
Chris Smith
