Phil Spencer is no longer trying to sell Xbox to PlayStation fans as the company focuses on “allowing more people” to play its games.
The early days of Xbox saw its consoles producing some of the best exclusives around, with games like Gears of War, Halo, and Forza only being available on that particular hardware. Microsoft had genuine system-selling titles.
Things have changed in the years since then, thanks in large part to Xbox’s bullish acquisition spree turning it into one of the industry’s biggest publishers, in addition to its focus on Game Pass and the PC market.
Still, fans were surprised to see the PS5 logo pop up in a few game trailers during the 2025 Xbox Developer Direct. According to the Head of Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer, this will become the norm going forward.
Xbox focused on allowing more people to play its games
In an interview with XboxEra, Phil Spencer spoke about the financial benefit of meeting players where they’re at in the comfort of their PlayStation and Nintendo ecosystems. He said in part, “I’m not trying to move them all over to Xbox anymore… Let’s just allow more people to play…”
Spencer additionally argued there’s no benefit to “gatekeep[ing] games.” While the platforms used to represent “the largest thing” in the industry, games have assumed that role.
“That’s what the industry is about, storytellers of all sizes being able to tell their stories through the games that they create. And allowing more people to play. I want Xbox to be the platform that enables that,” the executive added.
The Xbox-published Indiana Jones game is coming to PlayStation in Spring 2025.
Spencer also addressed the oddity of showing a PlayStation logo during an Xbox Developer Direct.
“I think it’s just being honest and transparent about where the games are showing,” the Xbox boss explained, before revealing that similar discussions were had for the June 2024 showcase. Ultimately, the team at Xbox didn’t have time to get all of the assets together before coming to a final conclusion.
But it’s clear whether the publisher stands now in the wake of the “This is an Xbox” campaign. For instance, PS5 owners who can’t wait to get their hands on Indiana Jones can play now via the Xbox App on Samsung TVs.
As for Spencer and Xbox, this expansive multiplatform strategy allows them to produce big projects, while simultaneously supporting native hardware and platform services. It’ll be good news for PlayStation fans in the short term, and perhaps people who buy the Switch 2 in the future.
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