Xbox boss Phil Spencer has taken to social media to address the countless rumours that many Xbox-exclusive titles will soon be available on PlayStation.
Over the past week, there has been speculation that Starfield, Indiana Jones & The Great Circle, Sea Of Thieves, Halo and Gears Of Wars could soon be available to play on the PlayStation 5 while Hi-Fi Rush may be coming to the Nintendo Switch.
The potential move has been met with a mixed reaction. PS5 and Switch users are stoked to get their hands on a number of previously unplayable titles while Xbox users are worried about the future of the console.
“We’re listening and we hear you” said Spencer on social media. “We’ve been planning a business update event for next week, where we look forward to sharing more details with you about our vision for the future of Xbox,” he continued, before asking fans to “stay tuned”.
We’re listening and we hear you. We’ve been planning a business update event for next week, where we look forward to sharing more details with you about our vision for the future of Xbox. Stay tuned.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) February 5, 2024
Last month, Spencer confirmed the company had “no plans” to bring Game Pass to Nintendo or PlayStation after Xbox CFO Tim Stuart said the plan was to bring the service to “every screen that can play games.”
After rumours of the pivot started to spread, a number of “Xbox influencers” threatened to pull their support for Microsoft if the move went ahead.
“This time, listening will not be enough,” said Xbox content creator Klobrille (via VGC). ”This time, execution, credibility in connection to previously made statements, and moving towards fans is all that will matter.”
“It’s not the strategy change itself I have any problems with,” he continued. “More games for more people isn’t a bad thing (even if this is clearly a one-way-street). It’s more about already made statements [about exclusivity] are about to be drawn obsolete, resulting in a breach of trust and credibility,” he added.
Following a Spaces appearance titled “I’m not an Xbox fanboy anymore,” streamer TimDog wrote: “Nothing changes other than I don’t support them like I have in the past. If you like being lied to, that’s a you thing. I have a set of standards that’s all,” while other Xbox users have apparently started trading in their consoles in protest.
In other news, Square Enix has revealed a new gameplay trailer for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth alongside details of a free demo.