In late 2023, rumors began swirling regarding Microsoft"s console exclusivity plans for some of its first-party games. According to reports, games like Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi Rush were already in development for PlayStation consoles. Now, new reports state that a broader multiplatform approach is being considered by the company for Xbox and Bethesda games going forward.
According to XboxEra"s findings, which it gathered from Microsoft sources who wished to be anonymous, Xbox"s most recent and easily its biggest release, Starfield, is coming to PlayStation 5. The Bethesda Game Studios-developed sci-fi RPG released on Xbox Series X|S consoles and PC on September 6, 2023. It went on to claim the achievement of being the developer"s biggest release ever, gaining 10 million players in just two weeks.
The report states that the PlayStation 5 port of Starfield would be landing sometime after the game"s first expansion launch. Titled Shattered Space, the story expansion does not have a release date yet, but is slated to release sometime later this year. Per the report, Microsoft is already stocking up on PlayStation 5 developer kits to help with the porting process for the massive RPG experience.
The XboxEra report goes on to say that not everyone in Microsoft"s leadership is happy with this pivot to drop Xbox console exclusivity. However, a decision had ultimately been made to tap into Sony"s massive PlayStation playerbase. The report says Hi-Fi Rush’s release on PlayStation 5 is currently planned for the first quarter of 2024.
Adding to this, The Verge has also put out a report saying Indiana Jones and the Great Circle may be another game being given a PlayStation 5 port. According to sources, the MachineGames-developed third-person adventure game is currently being considered for Sony consoles by Bethesda, which has only confirmed Xbox console and PC versions for now.
If the game does arrive on PlayStation, the report states that the release would be delayed by months on the rival"s console, offering Xbox players at least timed exclusivity on their platform. Both reports state that other games from Xbox"s extensive lineup are being considered for going multiplatform too.