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Xbox head Phil Spencer suggests Bethesda's Starfield is coming to PlayStation 5

Xbox head Phil Spencer offers clarity on Microsoft's vision for Xbox. It's all about building a games library on all platforms - PlayStation included.

Xbox head Phil Spencer suggests Bethesda's Starfield is coming to PlayStation 5
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Senior Editor
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TL;DR: Microsoft's Xbox strategy is shifting towards multi-platform releases following its $70 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard King. Xbox plans to release first-party titles on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2, with games like DOOM: The Dark Ages and Indiana Jones coming to PS5 in 2025. Phil Spencer suggests Starfield may also reach PS5, reflecting a broader strategy to expand Xbox's game library across platforms. This change aligns with industry trends and aims to address poor Xbox Series X|S sales.

Microsoft's Xbox strategy has evolved in recent years, especially after it acquired Activision Blizzard King for nearly $70 billion - the largest acquisition in video game history. The concept of games being locked to a single platform has been fading for a while, thanks to everything eventually making its way to PC, but things are moving a lot faster for Microsoft and Xbox.

Xbox head Phil Spencer doesn't rule out Starfield coming to PS5.

Xbox head Phil Spencer doesn't rule out Starfield coming to PS5.

The company is now looking beyond Xbox consoles, the PC market, and cloud gaming for all of its first-party slate of games - which includes releasing games on PlayStation 5 and the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. After playing it safe in deciding what games will end up multi-platform and testing the waters with titles like Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi Rush, it looks like Xbox is about to open the floodgates.

In 2025, first-party titles DOOM: The Dark Ages and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are both coming to PS5 - and in a recent interview with industry veteran Destin Legarie, Xbox head Phil Spencer didn't rule out Bethesda's Starfield making its way to Sony's console. He all but confirms that Starfield on PS5 is inevitable.

"No, there's no specific game... there's no reason for me to put a ring fence around any game and say 'this game will not go to a place where it will find players and have business success for us,'" Phil Spencer responds when asked if Starfield will remain exclusive to Xbox consoles and PC. Adding that keeping games of competing platforms like the PlayStation 5 "is not a path for us" and that the current Xbox strategy is all about building a game library for wherever gamers are playing.

For generations, first-party titles and franchises have been tied to a specific platform or platform holder, whether that's Super Mario or The Legend of Zelda on Nintendo devices, Uncharted and God of War on PlayStation consoles, or Halo and Gears of War finding their home on Xbox hardware. For those who grew up with consoles in the 1990s or 2000s, this shift in strategy from Microsoft is jarring; however, with Xbox Series X|S sales falling significantly behind PlayStation 5, it makes sense for Xbox going forward.

It also feels inevitable. Even though PS5 sales are strong, Sony is now delivering its major first-party games to PC faster and more timely to grow and recoup the increased costs associated with both hardware and game development.

Considering that, the question of when we'll see Starfield on PS5 is probably a matter of time, cost, and development resources over at Bethesda Game Studios.

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Kosta is a veteran gaming journalist that cut his teeth on well-respected Aussie publications like PC PowerPlay and HYPER back when articles were printed on paper. A lifelong gamer since the 8-bit Nintendo era, it was the CD-ROM-powered 90s that cemented his love for all things games and technology. From point-and-click adventure games to RTS games with full-motion video cut-scenes and FPS titles referred to as Doom clones. Genres he still loves to this day. Kosta is also a musician, releasing dreamy electronic jams under the name Kbit.

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