Xbox, the video game giant, has just made some industry-shaking announcements. The console manufacturer and publisher may well change course and radically modify its strategy. Following rumors relayed by The Verge, Xbox has made official the release of Grounded, Pentiment, Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves on other platforms. Is this the end of exclusivity?
Xbox exclusives come to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch!
It’s now official: the first Xbox exclusive titles will join the PlayStation and Nintendo Switch catalogs. As a result, the excellent survival game Grounded will be available to play on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, from April 16, 2024. Crossplay is also included, and all players will be able to enjoy the title, including PC gamers. Obsidian Entertainment’s Pentiment, meanwhile, will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch from February 22, 2024.
Announced as a shadow drop last year, Tango Gameworks’ musical game Hi-Fi Rush will also arrive on PlayStation 5 on February 22, 2024. Finally, Rare’s service and multiplayer game Sea of Thieves will also feature crossplay, and will land on PlayStation 5 on April 30, 2024. Good news for all gamers, who will be able to enjoy these Xbox exclusives on Sony’s console.
In the past, Xbox had already made its games available on other platforms. These include the already multiplatform Minecraft games, Ori and the Blind Forest, available on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, and its sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, also playable on Nintendo Switch. However, this announcement marks an acceleration in this strategy to sell more games.
Xbox exclusives coming soon to PlayStation 5?
The question now on everyone’s lips is whether Xbox will continue its momentum and offer larger-scale games on other consoles in the future. We’re thinking, of course, of Starfield, which could find a new audience on PlayStation 5. Licenses such as Halo, Gears, Forza, Microsoft Flight Simulator and even Hellblade could one day join the competition’s catalog.
Although it’s hard to imagine Xbox opening the floodgates to this extent, offering its exclusives bit by bit over the years could make sense. Bear in mind that Xbox is not the biggest seller of consoles, and exclusivity limits game sales. Although PC gaming represents a significant part of the brand’s business, seeking growth on other platforms such as PlayStation or Nintendo is a bid that could pay off.
This strategy could also serve as a promotional tool for Game Pass. Xbox-exclusive games are available from the day of release as part of the subscription offer, so gamers on other platforms will have to be patient to get their hands on these titles, while paying the full price. Wouldn’t this be a way of boosting the Xbox brand and spotlighting their service?
On X, the official Xbox account published a tweet that hints at the idea that the biggest games could be available on other consoles. These words are heavy with meaning, and seem to confirm that the video game giant wants to offer its exclusives on all platforms. However, the brand will probably wait to see the results of the releases of Grounded, Pentiment, Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves on other ecosystems before making a decision. In the latest Xbox podcast, Phil Spencer confirms that there are no further titles planned for PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch, for the time being. The publisher is sowing doubt, perhaps to gauge player interest.
Although the video game market is doing very well, we seem to be reaching a point where growth is slowing down. This glass ceiling cannot be broken without rethinking strategies. To a lesser extent, PlayStation’s quest for growth also involves multi-platform development, notably through the release of some of its titles on PC.
A new strategy that does not signal the end of Xbox consoles
Many gamers feared the end of Xbox consoles with this turnaround. Phil Spencer reassured the community that they have hardware plans for the next decade. Admittedly, Microsoft is not the world’s biggest console seller, but over 21 million units have been sold worldwide. As for Game Pass, it has convinced more than 34 million players. The Xbox brand is doing very well.
During the FTC case against Microsoft over the purchase of Activision Blizzard King, numerous documents and information were leaked. Rumors of an 8K-capable PlayStation 6, for example, stemmed from this legal battle. Among these documents, it was the leak of new Xbox Series versions that caused a stir.
These new consoles would, in principle, retain the same technical specifications for gaming, but would consume less power. If these documents are to be believed, the new Xbox Series X would not feature a Blu-ray player, but would benefit from a new, curved design as well as new WiFi and Bluetooth chips. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that these projects will reach the market in this form, as many things can still change before their commercial launch. The main thing to keep in mind is that Xbox is working on new hardware, and that the end of the “console war” is not just around the corner.
A win-win situation for console manufacturers
While the DNA of consoles is essentially based on exclusivity, this philosophy could well change tomorrow. It’s always worth remembering that the bulk of the market is made up of video game sales. Whether it’s Nintendo, Xbox or PlayStation, all three manufacturers have a common goal: to sell more games and subscriptions. Exclusivity limits sales to a single platform.
Offering games everywhere is a winning strategy. Games sell better, and gamers can buy them regardless of the brand of their console. Added to this is the fact that manufacturers take a percentage of sales, which also contributes to their growth. An Xbox exclusive sold on the PlayStation Store makes money for Sony, for example.
Offering games a second release window, as is the case with Grounded, Pentiment, Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves, is also a way of reaching more gamers. This is all the more interesting for service games, which often offer in-game purchases. These titles need an active community to bring multiplayer games to life, and offering cross-platform play is a good way of extending their lifespan.
Xbox and PlayStation are in the same league and share the same goals. The video game industry is in a tricky post-lockdown period, as the market is slowly sliding towards full digitalization. A pivotal period that could well shake up our gaming habits.
Nintendo, for its part, continues to break records. The Switch still has a lot going for it, and is winning over the public with its hybrid console concept. The company also seems to be planning things, and it’s quite possible that the Japanese giant will create a stir in the coming months.
