Microsoft is planning to bring almost all the Xbox games on PlayStation; is this the end of the console war?

We know by now that Microsoft has expressed its desire to make Xbox games multiplatform and bring them to other consoles, such as PlayStation.

The Redmond-based tech giant has started this process by announcing the release of two of its most popular games on Xbox, Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush, on PlayStation, and Switch.

Pentiment was released on PlayStation 5, Switch, and PlayStation 4 on February 22, and much to the enjoyment of the PlayStation users, and the dismay of Xbox lovers, the game seemed to run better on PlayStation than it does on Xbox consoles.

Hi-Fi Rush was released to PlayStation 5 a week ago, on March 19, 2024, and Microsoft wants to bring other popular Xbox games to other platforms. We’re talking about Grounded, and Sea of Thieves, both of which will be released on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Switch on April 16, and April 30, 2024, respectively.

However, more Xbox titles will become multi-platform, as Microsoft is reportedly looking to bring almost all of the Xbox games to other consoles, mainly PlayStation 5, according to GamesIndustry.biz head Chris Dring, who admitted that Xbox is in real trouble as a hardware manufacturer, at last week’s GDC.

Dring also says he heard from important companies in the gaming industry that Xbox is struggling in Europe. We’ve sort of known for a while that the console is not doing well in regions such as Europe, where PlayStation is more popular. But Xbox has been gaining some steady ground in Japan, and it’s definitely the leading gaming console in the NA region.

Dring says the majority of the Xbox titles will be available on PlayStation at some point in the future:

And with Xbox putting some of the games on PS5—from what I understand the majority of them will be coming across at some point, assuming it progresses as Xbox believes it probably will—I think Xbox is in real trouble as a hardware manufacturer, and that was the thing that came out of GDC for me.

Chris Dring

However, this doesn’t come as a surprise, at least, not now. Phil Spencer said, back in February, that dozens of other Xbox titles will ultimately become multiplatform, and the Xbox business strategy included making Xbox exclusives available to PlayStation.

But this could definitely hurt the console in the long run, and many people won’t see the need to purchase Xbox consoles if all of its games can be played on other consoles.

So is this the end of the console war, as we know it? Well, some say that the war is already over, as PlayStation is clearly the winner, and it overtakes Xbox when it comes to sales.

But, yes, it could be the end of the console war, unless Microsoft approaches it with some innovative ideas: the next Xbox console is reportedly the biggest technological leap in the console’s history, so that might stir up the war a little.

So even if the Xbox titles will be available to PlayStation, many of them will be native to Xbox, and this means they will run much better on Xbox consoles. Plus, the additional perks such as the Microsoft Xbox Rewards, or the Xbox Games Pass are also worth considering, especially if the budget is limited.

Ultimately, I don’t think a console with a 20+ years history can just disappear from the market, and even if it’s not winning the console war, Xbox will always have a community of players. If almost all of its titles will be available on PlayStation, then it is a good thing for Microsoft, as well, financially speaking.