Microsoft Gaming CEO Says Releasing Games on PS5 Is ‘A Good Thing for Xbox’

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Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has clarified the company’s strategy regarding console-exclusive games and the future of the Xbox platform. Spencer discussed his vision for the Xbox division’s future in a series of interviews following January’s Xbox Developer Direct showcase.

The Xbox brand has differentiated itself from competitors not through exclusive games, but through services and accessibility. Xbox Game Pass allows PC and console players to access a rotating selection of games on various devices and the cloud. In recent months, Xbox has published some of its former exclusives to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. This begs the question: are all Xbox exclusive coming to PlayStation? In an interview with Destin Legarie, Spencer was asked that exact question.

“We are finding that our games shipping on multiple platforms is a good thing for Xbox,” said Spencer. “It makes Xbox stronger, it lets us do shows like we did with showcase with great games, give our teams the time they need, for us to invest in platform, for us to invest in hardware. I think all of this is a part of what Xbox will be going forward.

When you ask the question [about all Xbox games coming to PS5]: No. I mean there are Xbox games that have shipped that we’re not going to put on other platforms, some of the things we’ll look at how they do, but you’re going to see more games not just shipping on PlayStation, [but also] shipping on Nintendo, we’ll continue to support Steam the way that they ship. We want our games to be in places that people play. We think that enables us to do more on the platform, do more on hardware and it’s a good system that works for us.”

Spencer was then asked whether Bethesda’s Starfield will remain an Xbox exclusive permanently. “No,” replied Spencer. “There’s no reason for me to put a ringed fence around any game and say this game will not go to a place that would find players, where it would have business success for us. What we’re finding is that we’re able to drive a better business that allows us to invest in a great game lineup like you saw and that’s our strategy. Our strategy is to allow our games to be available [everywhere]. Game Pass is an important component of playing the games on our platform, but keeping games off of other platforms is not a path for us. It doesn’t work for us.”

With all that said, many Xbox fans who have invested in the platform have wondered what the brand’s identity will be going forward. Spencer says that Xbox will focus on delivering a unified experience across devices, and continue to provide services like Play Anywhere, backward compatibility enhancements, and offering unique experiences enabled through improved hardware.

At CES 2025, Jason Ronald, Microsoft’s VP of Next Generation, announced that Microsoft is working to combine the Windows and Xbox experiences for handhelds, which ties into Spencer’s vision for Xbox on all devices.

“I want us to innovate and make the hardware the differentiator,” added Spencer. “We’ve gone into this space where the differentiation on the hardware has gone down and it’s really been [about] locked games that you try to make the identity of the hardware.

I want our hardware to compete on power and innovation. Let’s have our platform continue to innovate with services and the hardware work that we’re doing whether it’s control, whether it’s power, mobility, or whatever it is that we’re focused on, and let’s have our games reach you as the person who’s investing your time and your money in our games wherever you want to go play. I think that’s our identity going forward and it’s working for us, and I love the innovation that we’re able to bring through doing that.”

Games industry analysts predict that Xbox will port all of its big games to PS5 this year, and it seems to be coming true. Every game shown during the Developer Direct is coming to PlayStation simultaneously. Microsoft is also bringing The Outer Worlds 2 to PS5 on day one, joined by Indiana Jones and the Great Circle this spring. It looks like the age of Xbox console exclusives is almost over.