Sony should follow Microsoft and bring PlayStation exclusives to Xbox Microsoft has confirmed that four first-party games are heading to PlayStation, and with Sony planning to adapt its own exclusivity plans, we think now is a great time for Sony's first-party games to head to Xbox.Opinion by Tom West Published 16 Feb 2024 FollowtopicsXbox Series X|SOpinionTom West The last couple of weeks have been a rollercoaster for Xbox fans after rumors suggested that Microsoft plans to launch some of its first-party games on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. As it turns out, the rumors were somewhat true, and four unnamed Xbox console exclusives will be heading to rival platforms. However, it's not just Microsoft eyeing up potential revenue by releasing its first-party games on other systems. Sony revealed earlier this week it is also considering adapting its exclusivity plans, although likely only gunning for PC. We think this could be a great time for Sony to bring its games over to Xbox and start the process of dismantling the exclusivity culture.Last week, the Xbox community was thrown into disarray after rumors appeared suggesting that Microsoft could start launching its first-party games on rival platforms. The initial reaction saw many players question the future of Xbox and whether Microsoft would use its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard to kickstart a new strategy to become a third-party publisher, stoking fears that Xbox consoles would become redundant without exclusive games.Microsoft answered the community's questions yesterday during a special episode of the Official Xbox Podcast, doubling down on its commitment to Xbox by teasing that the next generation of Xbox consoles will deliver the "largest technical leap you will have ever seen," while also confirming that four games will be heading to rival platforms — Starfield and Indiana Jones are not on that list, though they haven't been completely ruled out. During the show, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said that he has a "fundamental belief that over the next five or ten years, exclusive games — games that are exclusive to one piece of hardware — are going to be a smaller and smaller part of the game industry."Spencer later added: "But I don’t want to create a false expectation on those other platforms that this is somehow the first four to get over the dam and then the dam’s going to open and that everything else is coming, that’s not the plan today."Spencer's comment makes sense in a world of high-budget development cycles. It's no secret that video game development is an expensive business, and the money required to sate the appetite of hungry players is only increasing as AAA games become even more ambitious, so it seems sensible for Microsoft and Sony to consider launching their first-party games on other platforms. Multiplatform publishers have the advantage of reaching players across Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and Nintendo, but for platform holders and their culture around exclusivity, they're limited to a much smaller number of customers and are leaving tens of millions of untapped potential customers on the table. During Sony's recent earnings call, PlayStation boss Hiroki Totoki spoke about the company's continued efforts to release first-party games on other platforms, notably PC. Totoki said during the call, "In the past, we wanted to popularise the console, and the first-party title's main purpose was to make the console popular, but there is a synergy to it. "If you have strong first-party content, not only with our console but also other platforms like computers, a first party can be grown with multiplatform, and that can help operating profit to improve. So that is another one we want to proactively work on."PlayStation is an extremely popular choice for players now, but there are clearly more customers it could reach, so it's no surprise to hear Sony considering its games for other platforms.Sony's first attempt at simultaneously launching a first-party game on PS5 and PC is Helldivers 2 from Arrowhead Game Studios. The game arrived earlier this month and seems to be paying off for Sony, earning a Mostly Positive user score from over 47,000 players on Steam. It's an impressive-looking game and one that has caught the attention of Phil Spencer, who spoke about it during an interview for the Game File Newsletter."I will say, when I look at a game like Helldivers 2 — and it's a great game, kudos to the team shipping on PC and PlayStation — I'm not exactly sure who it helps in the industry by not being on Xbox. If you try to twist yourself to say, like, somehow that benefited somebody somewhere," Spencer said. "There's a legacy in console gaming that we're going to benefit by shipping games and not putting them on other places. We do the same thing."Is Spencer right here? Is there any benefit to be had for skipping Xbox entirely, especially when you consider the money that could be left on the table by not extending to all capable platforms? Of course, Microsoft hasn't made a commitment like that yet either, as the four games it plans to launch on PlayStation are older titles, but now could be a great time for Sony to test the waters by releasing some of its older first-party games on Xbox as well. Many players prefer one platform over another because of its ecosystem, whether that be achievements instead of trophies, Xbox controllers over DualSense, and other such points. Microsoft has already confirmed that it's staying in the console business, the same as Sony will be with PlayStation, so maybe it is time to start dismantling the culture of exclusivity that has been the focal point of "console wars" for so long and instead enjoy each platform for the service they provide instead.What do you think? Should Sony join Microsoft in sharing console-exclusive games? We'd love to hear your thoughts, so let us know in the comments below!Xbox Series X|S Written by Tom WestTom has been playing video games since he was old enough to hold a controller, experimenting with a number of systems until he eventually fell in love with Xbox. With a passion for the platform, he decided to make a career out of it, and now happily spends his days writing about that which he loves. If he’s not hunting for Xbox achievements, you’ll likely find him somewhere in The Elder Scrolls Online or fighting for survival in Battlefield.