SUMMARY
- Rumors suggest Microsoft is planning to release Xbox titles on PlayStation 5.
- Starfield is one of the exclusives planned for a PS5 release.
It’s been weeks now that rumors about Microsoft planning to release a number of its Xbox-exclusive games on competitor consoles. According to rumors titles such as Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves could arrive on rival platforms such as Sony’s Xbox.
To add to it, a series of latest leaks have hinted that the list of games Microsoft plans is pretty long. And it could potentially include one of Xbox’s most latest and successful games of 2023.
Starfield coming on PlayStation 5
Bethesda’s space odyssey, Starfield, which was released on September 6, 2023, may make its way to Sony’s PlayStation 5 according to reports. The game, which took over two decades in development, opened to mixed reviews. While some hailed the game, there were others who review-bombed it.
Nonetheless, it became Bethesda’s biggest launch of all time, attracting over 6 million players within just a week of release. After its success on PC and Xbox, it looks like Microsoft is planning on bringing the RPG universe to a new platform, PlayStation 5.
🚨BREAKING #XBOX RUMOR🚨
Starfield is reportedly coming to the PS5 according to sources, The decision has reportedly been met with “fierce internal debate” inside Microsoft.
How do you feel about Xbox’s biggest exclusive of 2023 potentially coming to it’s rival system? pic.twitter.com/wVuTSqrYUF
— Game Pass Tracker (@gamepasstracker) February 4, 2024
As per sources, Microsoft plans on launching Starfield on PlayStation 5 after the release of its upcoming expansion, “Shattered Space.” The DLC will first launch for Xbox and PC, post which the base game as well as the DLC will be made available on PS5.
The Shattered Space DLC is expected to arrive at some point later this year. Thus, Starfield could make it to PS5 either in late 2024 or early 2025. It has also been reported that Microsoft has made investments in PlayStation 5 dev kits as well to support the ongoing development efforts.
Why is Microsoft releasing Xbox exclusives on PlayStation?
Microsoft launching an exclusive product on a rival platform would mark a significant change in Microsoft’s gaming strategy. Prior to this, Microsoft’s strategy was focused on keeping its biggest titles exclusive to Xbox consoles.
However, it must be noted that Xbox does release all its first-party games on PC immediately. Besides, recent reports of PlayStation 5 outselling the Xbox Series consoles, it may be that the company has realized that missing the PlayStation sales could significantly impact their numbers.
As per the XboxEra report sources told them, “Microsoft senior leadership have reportedly debated the various pros and cons of releasing more of their exclusive software elsewhere, and internally, not everyone is necessarily happy with the decision, but recouping the potential money ‘left on the table’ by not releasing elsewhere has arguably won out.”
Additionally, prior to this, Microsoft’s head of gaming, Phil Spencer, has stated that game exclusivity is decided “on a case-by-case basis”. However, last year’s FTC lawsuit revealed that Phil had internal conversations with his teams suggesting that all Bethesda games would be exclusive in the future.
Recent reports prove that Xbox may be softening its approach. While their native console is still essential to Xbox and Microsoft, it’s no news that the company’s goal for some time now has been to make its games accessible anywhere.
That is why they offer their games on PC or on mobile via the cloud. Their subscription model of Game Pass also ties into that. Further releasing the games on PlayStation or Nintendo releases would be an extension of that strategy.