Other big Xbox exclusives like Gears of War or Starfield on PS5 after Grounded and Sea of Thieves? Microsoft will be paying close attention and reviewing these releases carefully.
Microsoft ended up taking a step forward by breaking down certain barriers between its Xbox Series X|S, the PS5 and also the Nintendo Switch. But for the moment, the manufacturer is groping by releasing licenses that are less anchored in the collective unconscious. Obsidian Pentiment is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and Switch. Soon, it will be joined by Grounded or Sea of Thieves which will only be on Sony consoles. Hi-Fi Rush, one of the big surprises of 2023, is already playable on PS5. If these different meetings are conclusive, a new love story could be born.
Gears of War and other Xbox games on PS5 and Nintendo Switch?
Four big Xbox games were released on PS5 and two more indie games landed on PlayStation 5 in March – after the temporary exclusivity contract between Microsoft and the third-party studios responsible for these indie titles expired. Even before the announcement of ports of Xbox exclusives to other consoles, rumors were flying everywhere. Some have certified that this is only the beginning and Jeff Grubb, a renowned journalist in the industry, has even heard that Gears of War could receive the same treatment and arrive sooner or later on Switch and / or PS5.
We will see if this is true, but Microsoft would indeed have big plans. The multiplatform strategy should not stop there if we are to believe Tom Warren of The Verge. “Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell me that the company continues to consider porting other exclusive games to PS5. From what I understand, Sea of Thieves will be a litmus test for whether other titles could be released on PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch.” he says (via The Verge). If Sea of Thieves is successful, the Redmond firm could therefore continue in this direction.
Who could be the lucky ones? Everyone thinks of Starfield, which was not the tidal wave capable of selling Xbox Series X|S on its own. A recent rumor suggested that a PS5 version of Hellblade 2 was already in the works, but that would obviously be false. That doesn’t mean it’s a final decision, but there apparently isn’t a PlayStation 5 version being developed in parallel at the moment. Finally, in the rumor mill, The Verge speculates that Indiana Jones and the Ancient Circle could land on PS5 just a few months after its initial release on Xbox Series X|S and PC.