In the previous generations of consoles, the idea of seeing Master Chief or Marcus Fenix on a PlayStation would have seemed ridiculous. However, in modern gaming, that’s become the standard mode for most Xbox releases. Remastered versions of Halo and Gears of War are on the way, while former exclusives like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Forza Motorsport 5 have found new life on PlayStation 5.
While it’s been a bit scattershot in terms of release, the latest news out of Xbox Game Studios suggests that Xbox exclusivity is over as a concept. That’s great news for Sony and PlayStation users, as well as a positive turn for Xbox Game Studios’ apparent desire to expand the number of players who can dive into their titles. This is bad news for Xbox fans, though, as it suggests the console is about to fully lose one of the attributes that can help a console stand out in a competitive marketplace.
Xbox Games Becoming Cross-Platform Is Great For Gamers
In a recent interview, Xbox Game Studios Head Craig Duncan explained how developers and publishers are dedicated to seeing their titles played by as many people as possible. For Xbox Game Studios — which has increasingly picked up a lot of other developers in recent years, including Activision and Bethesda — that means expanding beyond their in-house console and releasing across multiple platforms. On a certain level, this makes a lot of sense for Xbox Game Studios, given that Microsoft has placed high profit expectations on the gaming division. Breaking even has never been harder for the company, explaining why they’ve shuttered multiple studios and cancelled various games as a cost-saving measure.
It’s also naturally a great turn of events for players with Sony or Nintendo consoles, as it makes it more likely that they can dive into the games without ever having to buy a new console. That way, they get the chance to play a new game they’d otherwise been kept away from, all while paying the game owner and developers for their work. It’s a move that has precedent, given the success Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 5 found once they came to PlayStation 5, even outselling many of Sony’s top games at the time. It makes a good case for Xbox Game Studios as a developer and publisher, with a deep library of titles that they can pull from for straight ports or new remasters. For PlayStation fans, this is a boon, and it should also help the Xbox Game Studios team in any upcoming earnings calls. However, it also doesn’t bode well for the future of Xbox as a going concern in the console race.
Xbox Game Studios Is Going To Outlast The Xbox Consoles
The Xbox has always been the perennial third-place contender in the 21st-century console race, but that’s not to disparage what the Xbox has become. In fact, the console more than proved itself to be a strong competitor to the likes of Nintendo and Sony, making a name for itself with a strong roster of exclusive titles and more mature content. While it might not have ever really been able to take the crown from the competition, the Xbox has become a recognizable brand. However, the current console generation has not been kind to the Xbox. Crucially, the console has lacked a lot of exclusive titles, which have traditionally been seen as a major advantage over the prospective competition. Without the likes of an exclusive release, there’s less cause to get an Xbox over other consoles.
Big purchases of major developers haven’t necessarily turned into massive profits, even as unexpected successes (like Tango GameWorks) were promptly shuttered for financial reasons. Meanwhile, the Switch 2’s versatility and the raw power of the PS5 have given them an edge over the current Xbox offerings. The future looks even bleaker with the upcoming arrival of the Steam Machine, which could easily become a game-changer in the console market thanks to its truly massive library of older titles. The Xbox no longer having many exclusive games is a big blow to the console, turning potential lifesavers like the new Fable into a cross-platform release.
That’s good for the game developers and great for the players who want to dive into the games — like this writer, for example, who has been very happy to play Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on his PS5 instead of trying to force his Xbox One to run it. However, it’s less promising for people who want the Xbox to succeed as a console instead of just as a games publisher. It’s similar to the fate that awaited Sega after the Dreamcast wasn’t able to compete with the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and original Xbox. While Sega is alive and thriving today, they haven’t been a part of the console race for over two decades. A similar fate seems to be awaiting the Xbox unless something changes — but at least these recent developments seem to suggest that Xbox Game Studios are increasingly alright with shifting more heavily into game publishing instead of console development.