Sony is reportedly preparing to bring morePlayStationgames to Xbox consoles, according to a reliable insider. While noPlayStationgame has been announced for Xbox beyondHelldivers 2, this report might allude to a significant turning point in how Sony approaches exclusivity in the years ahead.
Historically, Sony has been fiercely protective of first-party games, with tentpole franchises likeGod of War,Uncharted,Horizon,The Last of Us, and more remaining locked to PlayStation consoles for most of their lifespans. However, Sony has gradually warmed up to multiplatform publishing, beginning with PC ports of select first-party games in 2020, and most recently, the surprise announcement thatHelldivers 2will launch on Xbox Series X/S on August 26. This set off speculation about a potential major shift in Sony’s exclusivity strategy.
A recentSony job listing hinted at more multiplatform PlayStation games, inciting even more discourse about what the gaming giant’s plans are. Now, reputable industry insider NateTheHate has chipped in on whether Sony will continue to port PlayStation games to Xbox. Over onTwitter, NateTheHate was asked where more PlayStation games are headed to Xbox, to which he bluntly replied: “More Sony games will come to Xbox, yes.” While the insider admitted that he doesn’t have a list of confirmed PlayStation multiplatform titles, he does reckon that it won’t be “anything beyond live-service games.”
If Sony Does Port More PlayStation Games to Xbox, They May Not Be of the Single-Player Variety
A large playerbase is one of many crucial factors behind the success of live-service games, and Sony has hardly seen any success in this genre. Aside fromHelldivers 2, everyPlayStation first-party live-service gamehas either flopped or been shuttered behind the scenes so far. Sony is already committed to launching live-service games on both PC and PS5 simultaneously, so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see them show up on Xbox too - potentially after a one-year window post-release. Therefore, upcoming PlayStation live-service titles likeFairgamesand theHorizonco-op game may well come to Xbox too.
Granted,Helldivers 2isn’t the first time a PlayStation game will launch on Xbox. San Diego Studio’s annualMLB The Showentries have been hitting Xbox since 2021, with some of them even being added to Game Pass. However,portingMLB The Showto Xbox was a contractual demand made by MLBthat Sony had to fulfill, whereasHelldivers 2going to Series X/S is a fully voluntary decision that wasn’t influenced by an external entity. It’s still too early to ascertain Sony’s precise plans for multiplatform PlayStation ports, but it does seem like the gaming giant will be a bit more generous towards Xbox players going forward.
