Which Xbox Franchises Would You Buy on PS5? | Push Square

Following comments from Xbox boss Phil Spencer over how he's unsure who's helped by Helldivers 2 not launching on Microsoft consoles, Xbox fans have set up a petition directed at PlayStation to try and convince them to bring the co-op shooter to Xbox Series X|S. Close to 23,000 signatures have been garnered so far, with the petition saying it «heralds the arrival of a beloved franchise on new platforms» and «signifies a potential turning point in the ongoing console wars».

For the best part of this generation, Sony’s been pressured by a vocal part of the gaming community to borrow Xbox Game Pass’ unproven business model with PS Plus. The platform holder eventually decided to take a half-step, merging PS Now with its existing subscription but resisting the urge to add day one first-party software to the service. It’s described this strategy as unsustainable.

Fans want a physical edition of Remedy’s horror sequel Alan Wake 2, but the critically acclaimed game isn’t exactly struggling on digital storefronts. The title has now sold 1.3 million copies worldwide, making it the fastest-selling title in the Finnish firm’s history. It previously reached one million units by the end of December 2023, so it looks like word of mouth has been good through the first two months of 2024.

Microsoft has officially confirmed it’ll bring four formerly exclusive games to rival platforms like PS5, but it won’t say which ones. As part of a bizarre podcast featuring executives Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty, the trillion-dollar tech titan danced around the rumours which have been doing the rounds for weeks now.

In case you missed it, Xbox's top dogs set live a podcast yesterday, publicly announcing the company's long-rumoured intention to bring a selection of first-party games to rival consoles. After so much noise around the subject, it hardly came as a surprise, but it's still a noteworthy shift in how the platform holder will handle its in-house titles going forward. While the messaging was kept fairly vague, we can get a touch more context from a company memo, sent from Phil Spencer to staff before the podcast's debut. It's now available to read in its entirety online.

Microsoft will bring four first-party titles to PS5, but it’s refusing to name which. Said titles will not include Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which will remain exclusive to Xbox and PC, until circumstances change. Xbox bigwig Phil Spencer, however, has seen the success of Helldivers 2 – and is struggling to see the advantage of the PlayStation-published shooter not being available on Xbox.

Helldivers 2 has been a bit of a surprise hit for Sony and developer Arrowhead Studios. The game's landed with a genuine bang, pulling a huge number of players across PS5 and PC since its launch last week. The general consensus is that — outside of connection issues — it's a damn good time, especially if you can coax a few friends to join you in blasting overgrown bugs.

More great games are coming to the PS5, and that’s never a bad thing. Microsoft announced during a highly massaged corporate message that it’ll bring four first-party titles to rival systems, although it wouldn’t name any names. Fortunately, the rumours have been so strong that we can surmise they’ll be rhythm brawler Hi-Fi Rush, historical adventure Pentiment, nautical outing Sea of Thieves, and survival game Grounded. These fit Xbox boss Phil Spencer’s description of two smaller titles and two live service experiences.

Microsoft only announced four first-party titles for PS5 today, and it’s refusing to name which ones, although the likelihood is that Sea of Thieves, Grounded, Hi-Fi Rush, and Pentiment will all get ported. However, its stance is wishy-washy when it comes to other releases, with Spencer claiming he doesn’t believe “we should as an industry ever rule out a game going to any other platform”.

During tonight's Future of Xbox event, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer announced that four Xbox games would be launching on new consoles, and while he wouldn't be drawn on which four Xbox exclusives will be making the jump to other platforms, we can take a pretty good guess based on what Spencer said.

Microsoft will reveal more about its new business strategy during a podcast later this week, where it’s expected it’ll announce several formerly Xbox exclusive titles for PS5 and Nintendo Switch. The strongest speculation seems to surround Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves, although others like Starfield and Gears of War are apparently being “considered” by the trillion-dollar tech titan, too.

Final Fantasy VIII was (until XIII rolled around) the most divisive entry in a series famous for changing things up, with oceans of ink spilt by the game's rabid detractors and stalwart defenders. Aside from stoic protagonist, Squall, and the way enemies levelled up alongside the party, players' most significant issue with the game was how it handled progression: the complex and quite vague Junction system.