Last year, Microsoft shook up the gaming industry by announcing plans to release Xbox titles on both PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. Pentiment, Hi-Fi RUSH, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves all made their way to Xbox's competing platforms.
"As a publisher and platform we are committed to meeting players where they are, by bringing more games, to more people, and on more devices," Matt Booty, President of Xbox Game Content & Studios, said at the time. "And at the heart of all we do are our players, and the vibrant communities that they build around the games they love."
Following the successful release of these four Xbox games on PS5 and Nintendo Switch, Microsoft is now planning to bring even more of its first-party games to the rival consoles. According to prominent industry leaker NateTheHate, both Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 will be releasing on the PlayStation 5 and the yet-to-be-revealed Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025. He also revealed on his podcast that Final Fantasy VII Remake will come to Xbox in 2025.
Apparently, these aren't the only games Microsoft is planning to release on the PS5 and Switch 2. Windows Central reporter and fellow insider Jez Corden joined in on the conversation via social media, claiming, "Microsoft isn't stopping there."
In a follow-up article, Corden corroborated NateTheHate's report about Final Fantasy VII Remake coming to Xbox this year as well as Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 coming to the PS5 and Switch 2. However, Corden added that Hellblade 2, Age of Mythology, and possibly even Gears of War 1 Ultimate Edition are slated to release on PlayStation 5 this year.
Although he hasn't heard if these games will also come to the Nintendo Switch 2, he does expect that they will. Nintendo has yet to officially reveal the Nintendo Switch 2, but there are reports that it could finally be announced next week.
To be clear, Microsoft has not announced any of these games for other platforms, although Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has previously suggested that any Xbox game could come to PS5. The next confirmed Xbox game set to arrive on PlayStation is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which is slated for a Spring 2025 launch.
Bringing Xbox-exclusive titles to competing consoles, while great for gamers, is a risky move for Microsoft. While the company will undoubtedly see a boost in its game sales, it's unclear how this will impact Xbox hardware sales.
Microsoft is already struggling to compete with Sony and Nintendo in the hardware space, and making its exclusive games more widely available on competing consoles probably won't help Xbox console sales. The question now is if any drop in hardware sales will be made up for with video game sales.