Microsoft had announced in February that it would bring four of its exclusive Xbox titles to rival platforms from Sony and Nintendo. It seems the company is not stopping with its four first-party games coming to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. A new report claims that the Xbox parent intends to make a multi-platform push for more of its games. Under the plan, internally codenamed “Latitude,” more upcoming first-party Xbox titles are said to be in development for the PS5.
The Windows Central report didn’t name any Xbox titles planned for a PS5 release, but it claimed the titles were “potentially obvious games” that one would expect to release on rival platforms. “More upcoming Microsoft-owned games slated for PlayStation are already being developed,” the report said.
While announcing its plan to release some of its exclusive titles on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch in February, Microsoft had sought to draw a line, confirming that its biggest exclusive titles like Bethesda’s Starfield and the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle would not release on PS5. The new report, however, said that Microsoft was ready to consider a more unrestricted approach towards launching its games on rival platforms. “… Microsoft is pushing for no “red line” for what games could come to PlayStation, and it all revolves around Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood’s mandate to increase every department’s margins,” the report claimed.
Even as the company is working on plans to bring more games to Sony and Nintendo consoles, “Latitude” isn’t without internal contention. The report said that the plan has sparked debate and unease at Microsoft, with looming questions over its merits.
As part of its announcement early this year, Microsoft has already released Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Grounded and Sea of Thieves on rival consoles, indicating a shift in its strategy towards exclusivity. Announcing more upcoming games for PS5 and Nintendo Switch would cement that shift towards finding new players for its games beyond its own Xbox ecosystem.
Microsoft’s gaming division added considerable muscle last year with the $69 billion acquisition of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard, but Xbox has struggled to see the fruits of its expanding roster of studios. Last week, the company announced it was shutting down three of its studios and absorbing another one into an existing team as part of its plan to shift focus on to its “priority games.” Hi-Fi Rush maker Tango Gameworks, Redfall developer Arkane Austin and Alpha Dog Games, makers of the mobile game Mighty Doom, were closed, while Roundhouse Studios, which also contributed to Redfall development, was absorbed by ZeniMax Online Studios.
Following the shutdowns, a report from Bloomberg claimed that Microsoft was planning more cuts at Xbox and the company had begun offering voluntary severance agreements to producers, quality assurance testers and other staff at Bethesda parent ZeniMax.
Microsoft is yet to make an official statement on the studio closures and reported cuts, but the company is set to hold an Xbox Games Showcase event on June 9, where it will reveal its upcoming lineup of exclusive and third-party titles.
