Microsoft's multiplatform strategy is clearly paying dividends, as evidenced by the successful launches of their games on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC. Sony's PlayStation blog post, highlighting the top-selling games on the PlayStation Store for April 2025, underscores this success.
In the U.S. and Canada, Microsoft games dominated the top three spots on the PS5's non-free-to-play download chart: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Minecraft, and Forza Horizon 5. A similar trend was observed in Europe, where Forza Horizon 5 led the charts, followed by The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered and Minecraft.
[ttpp]Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, backed by Microsoft for a day-one Game Pass launch and featured in Xbox showcase broadcasts, also ranked highly on both charts. Additionally, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 from Microsoft-owned Activision and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle from Microsoft-owned Bethesda made significant appearances on the sales charts.
This performance highlights a simple truth: high-quality games, regardless of their origin, will top sales charts. It's no surprise to see these Microsoft titles excelling on PlayStation. The PS5 community eagerly anticipated the launch of Forza Horizon 5, a standout racer from Playground Games. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered satisfies the Bethesda fanbase across PC and console, while Minecraft continues to surge in popularity, boosted by the viral success of the Minecraft movie.
[ttpp]This trend reflects the new normal for Microsoft, which recently announced Gears of War: Reloaded for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, set to release in August. It seems inevitable that Halo, once an Xbox exclusive, will follow suit.
Last year, Microsoft's gaming chief, Phil Spencer, emphasized that there are no "red lines" in their first-party lineup when considering multiplatform releases, including Halo. In an interview with Bloomberg, Spencer stated, "I do not see sort of red lines in our portfolio that say 'thou must not.'" He explained that the multiplatform strategy is partly driven by the need to increase revenue for Microsoft's gaming business, especially after the $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
"We run a business," Spencer remarked in August. "It's definitely true inside of Microsoft the bar is high for us in terms of the delivery we have to give back to the company. Because we get a level of support from the company that's just amazing and what we're able to go do. So I look at this, how can we make our games as strong as possible? Our platform continues to grow, on console, on PC, and on cloud. It's just going to be a strategy that works for us."
[ttpp]As former Xbox executive Peter Moore noted to IGN, the discussion about bringing Halo to PlayStation has likely been ongoing at Microsoft. "Look, if Microsoft says, wait, we're doing $250 million on our own platforms, but if we then took Halo as, let's call it a third-party, we could do a billion… You got to think long and hard about that, right?" Moore emphasized the broader implications of such a move, considering Halo as more than just a game but a significant piece of intellectual property.
Moore acknowledged the potential backlash from hardcore Xbox fans, who feel the Xbox brand is being devalued due to a lack of exclusives and Microsoft's marketing strategy. However, he suggested that Microsoft won't let fan reactions deter them from making strategic business decisions. "The question would be, ultimately, is that reaction enough not to make a fundamental business decision for the future of not only Microsoft's business, but gaming in itself?" Moore questioned, pointing out the shifting demographics of gaming and the need to cater to new generations driving the industry forward over the next decade and beyond.
