Microsoft's multiplatform strategy is clearly proving successful, as evidenced by the strong performance of its titles on the PlayStation 5, alongside Xbox Series X and S and PC. This insight comes directly from Sony, through a PlayStation blog post that highlighted the top-selling games on the PlayStation Store for April 2025.
In the U.S. and Canada, Microsoft games dominated the top three spots on the PS5's non-free-to-play download chart. Leading the pack were The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Minecraft, and Forza Horizon 5. A similar trend was observed in Europe, with Forza Horizon 5 taking the lead, followed by The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered and Minecraft.
[ttpp]Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a title 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 also made significant appearances in the charts.
This success underscores a simple truth: quality games, regardless of their origin, will rise to the top of sales charts. It's no surprise to see these Microsoft titles performing well on PlayStation. Forza Horizon 5, developed by Playground Games, filled a much-anticipated gap on the PS5, while The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered satisfied the demand for Bethesda's signature gameplay across both PC and console. Meanwhile, Minecraft continues to thrive, boosted further by the viral success of its movie.
[ttpp]Microsoft has embraced this multiplatform approach as the new normal, recently announcing Gears of War: Reloaded for release on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation in August. It seems increasingly likely 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 indicated that all Xbox games are potential candidates for multiplatform distribution. "I do not see sort of red lines in our portfolio that say 'thou must not,'" he stated.
Spencer's multiplatform strategy is driven by the need to generate more revenue for Microsoft's gaming division, especially following the massive $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. "We run a business," Spencer said 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 told IGN, the possibility of bringing Halo to PlayStation has likely been a topic of discussion at Microsoft for some time. "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 explained.
"Halo is more than just a game; it's a significant piece of intellectual property. How do you leverage that? Those are the conversations that always happen with, how do you leverage it in everything that we would do?"
"Xbox wouldn't be what Xbox is without Halo. But yeah, I'm sure those conversations are happening. Whether they come to fruition, who knows? But they're definitely happening, I'm sure."
Microsoft must navigate potential backlash from hardcore Xbox fans who feel the Xbox console's value is diminishing due to the lack of exclusives and Microsoft's broader marketing strategy. The prospect of losing Halo to PlayStation could provoke further discontent. However, Moore suggested that such reactions may not be enough to sway Microsoft from making strategic business decisions for the future of its gaming business.
"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 said. "Those hardcore are getting smaller in size and older in age. You've got to cater to the generations that are coming through, because they're going to drive the business over the next 10, 20 years."
