The days of Xbox and PlayStation being at each other’s throats seem long gone as Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer is done with trying to force Nintendo Switch and PS5 owners over to Xbox Series X|S.

Microsoft (which owns developers under the Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda, and Activision Blizzard umbrellas) has been porting more and more games to rival consoles over the last few years. Sleeper hits, like Grounded, and blockbusters, like Sea of Thieves, have made their way to other platforms with Forza Horizon 5 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle up next - and the division’s boss has shed some light on the strategy.

Spencer acknowledged that “one of the reasons that investing in our own platform is important” is that when Microsoft sells a copy of a game on another platform, it only gets 70% of the revenue, compared to 100% of the money when selling the same game on Xbox, via an interview with Xbox Era. But he also said he wants to “find fans of our franchises” that won’t move to Xbox, no matter what.

“I’m not trying to move them all over to Xbox anymore,” Spencer said. “People were all so invested in where our games are. Let’s just allow more people to play and yes, the 70% that we make on games on other platforms is helpful to us being able to build great portfolios… And I know it’s not what everybody else is doing, but I just believe games should be the thing that’s at the forefront. Maybe it’s because of how I’ve grown up in this industry. I came from building games. But I think the games are the things that I see growing in their strength in what we’re doing and it’s because more people can play.”

Moving forward, as we saw in the latest Xbox Developer Direct, the publisher won’t be hiding PS5 and Nintendo Switch logos in its game showcases as it had done in the past. “I think it’s just being honest and transparent about where the games are showing up… people should know the storefronts where they can get our games.”

Of course, the executive still said he was committed to supporting the company’s native hardware and systems. In the past, he’s even confirmed that a next Xbox console will come, perhaps dissuading rumors that Xbox would take the Sega route and completely opt out of the race. There’s even been rumblings about a next-gen Xbox handheld for a while.

Elsewhere, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer said he doesn’t “want to see every game turn into some big live service,” and Game Pass allows for more “games that have a beginning, middle and end.”

  • @jordanlund
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    86 days ago

    As a multi-console owner, I’ve got no dog in this fight, but I have to say it makes me far less likely to buy the next X-box.

    But also, how weak has this gen been? I get it, Covid threw EVERYONE for a loop, supply chain problems, scalpers, but man, neither platform has the number of games it should at this point of the lifecycle.

    • Porto881
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      106 days ago

      Funny because as a lifetime PS owner (since the launch of the PS2 at least), I’m 100% moving to Xbox on my next console. If exclusives don’t exist anymore and specs are comparable, might as well go for the one that isn’t a huge ugly eyesore in my living room and has vastly better media app support.

      • @jordanlund
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        46 days ago

        This is true, I didn’t expect to be installing this, but it is behind my TV, so I’m OK with it.

        • Porto881
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          36 days ago

          It really is just about the ugliest thing in the world. I’ve boxed mine up and moved to just using an old NUC as an HTPC in my living room out of embarrassment at how hideous the PS5 is.

      • @slimerancher
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        15 days ago

        Well, exclusives do exist. Only Xbox is bringing their games over. PS and Nintendo aren’t.

        There is always PC though. If you have PC and Xbox, you can play everything (except Nintendo games, ofcourse)

  • @slimerancher
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    15 days ago

    Many people hold the idea (and I may have mentioned it before here) that after Activision, decision making isn’t in the hands of Xbox execs (like Phil) but in hands of MS execs (the “bean counters” as they say), and that is from where all these decisions, and the recent change in direction is coming from.

    All things aside, it was really interesting to see that Xbox became the biggest publisher on PlayStation. Never thought I would see such a day.

    • AlexanderTheGreatOPM
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      24 days ago

      All things aside, it was really interesting to see that Xbox became the biggest publisher on PlayStation. Never thought I would see such a day.

      This actually makes me chuckle.