Among the multiplatform Push is Microsoft Push video games, similar to PlayStation 5 and the recently announced Nintendo Switch 2. But or the recently announced Nintendo Switch 2. But or Bethesda’s Starfield?
In an interview with former IGN Director of Content Strategy, Destin Legarie, for his modern Funded by Patreon, the Save State Plus showMicrosoft gaming chief Phil Spencer was asked directly if he could confirm that Starfield remains an Xbox exclusive for now.
Phil Spencer on Starfield Exclusivity
Destin: “Can you confirm that Starfield remains for now?”
Spencer: “No.”
Source: https://t.co/ccnxlg6gu5 pic.twitter.com/r6sfx9e193
– Destiny (@Destinleggarie) January 25, 2025
“No,” was Spencer’s response.
“There is no specific play… that kind of goes back to my red line. There’s no reason to put a ring fence in any game and say that game won’t go to a place where it finds players where it would be a business success for us. We believe we can run a better business that allows us to invest in the great gaming offerings you’ve seen. And this is our strategy. Our strategy is to make our games accessible, Game Pass is an important element of playing games on our platform. But to stop games from other platforms, this is not the path for us. This doesn’t work for us. What we’re doing now, we think, is really allowing us to build the best platform for the best games in the world.
“The biggest games in the world are available in many places. And more and more developers are asking us, “How do we stay connected when our game may be played in all these different places?” And we want Xbox to absolutely be the platform that makes that possible.
“We think that’s what makes us unique. Most other platforms are a single platform on a single device. Whether it’s a computer, mobile, or console. We want Xbox to be a platform that empowers creators on every screen people want to play on. “
Starfield and MachineGames’ Indiana Jones and The Great Circle were reported as being considered for PS5 back in March 2024. Indy finally confirmed the PS5 with a spring 2025 release window, several months after its release on PC and Xbox Series XXI S. But Starfield has yet to be confirmed for PS5, although Spencer’s comments here certainly suggest they’re on the cards.
Many Xbox games are currently available on PS5, including Rare’s Sea of Thieves, Tango GameWorks’ Hi-Fi Rush, and Obsidian’s Grounded and Pentyment. Microsoft already publishes Minecraft games on PlayStation consoles, among many other platforms, and is expected to publish Doom: The Dark Ages and Ninja Gaiden 4 on PS5 later this year. There are even reports that Microsoft is finally ready to release Halo on PlayStation after decades of Xbox exclusivity.
Meanwhile, Spencer teased Microsoft’s plan to release Xbox games on the Nintendo Switch 2, reinforcing recent reports that indicate the company is making a big comeback for the next-gen console.
Spencer said Xbox’s multiplatform push is partly to bring more money into Microsoft’s gaming industry – with the pressure now to deliver after sensing Activision Blizzard’s $69 billion Call of Duty Maker acquisition.
“We run a business,” Spencer said last August. “That’s definitely true at Microsoft 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 a company that is just amazing and what we can do.
“So I look at how can we make our games so strong? Our platform continues to grow, across console, PC and cloud. It’s just going to be a strategy that works for us. “
Wesley is IGN’s British news editor. Find him on Twitter at @WYP100. You can reach Wesley at Wesley_Yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at WYP100@proton.me.
