Microsoft's multiplatform approach is clearly yielding impressive results, as evidenced by its successful launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC. This strategy has been validated by Sony's own data, which was shared in a PlayStation blog post detailing the top-selling games on the PlayStation Store for April 2025.
In the U.S. and Canada, the top three positions on the PS5's non-free-to-play download chart were dominated by Microsoft titles: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Minecraft, and Forza Horizon 5. Europe saw a similar trend, with Forza Horizon 5 leading the pack, followed by The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered and Minecraft.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, supported by Microsoft through a day-one Game Pass release 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 strong showings in the rankings.
These results underscore a simple truth: quality games, regardless of their origin, are bound to top the sales charts. It's no surprise to see these Microsoft titles perform well on PlayStation. The PS5 community eagerly awaited the arrival of Forza Horizon 5, Playground's exceptional racer, which launched on the console in April to much anticipation. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is satisfying the cravings of Bethesda fans across platforms, and Minecraft continues its reign, further boosted by the viral success and record-breaking performance of the Minecraft movie.
This trend represents the new normal for Microsoft, which recently announced Gears of War: Reloaded for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, set to release in August. It appears increasingly likely that Halo, once an Xbox exclusive, will also transition to other platforms.
Last year, Microsoft's gaming chief, Phil Spencer, emphasized that there were no "red lines" in Microsoft's first-party lineup regarding multiplatform releases—including Halo. In an interview with Bloomberg, Spencer stated that every Xbox game could potentially be considered for multiplatform release, saying, "I do not see sort of red lines in our portfolio that say 'thou must not.'" Spencer also highlighted that the multiplatform strategy is partly driven by the need to increase revenue for Microsoft's gaming division, especially after the significant $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In August, Spencer noted, "We run a business. 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."
Former Xbox executive Peter Moore, speaking to IGN last year, confirmed that discussions about bringing Halo to PlayStation have likely been ongoing at Microsoft. Moore explained, "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? I mean, you just got to go, yeah, should it be kept? It's a piece of intellectual property. It's bigger than just a game. And how do you leverage that? Those are the conversations that always happen with, how do you leverage it in everything that we would do? It's had its ups and downs, but look, 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 dedicated Xbox fans who are already feeling alienated by what they perceive as a devaluation of the Xbox brand, the scarcity of exclusives, and Microsoft's marketing strategies. The possibility of Halo coming to PlayStation might provoke further discontent among this group. However, Moore emphasized to IGN that such reactions would not prevent Microsoft from making strategic business decisions that benefit its gaming division and the broader gaming industry. He noted, "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? 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."
