Microsoft’s multi-platform strategy is clearly rewarding with regard to launches on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S and PC.
A confirmation will be made from Sony itself via a PlayStation blog post that revealed the top-selling PlayStation Store games in April 2025.
In the US and Canada, all three top spots on the PS5’s non-free download chart were filmed by Microsoft Games: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Minecraft, and Forza Horizon 5.
In a similar situation in Europe, Forza Horizon 5 was on top, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was remastered, followed by Minecraft.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been a hit with Microsoft signing with one game pass launch per day and appearing on Xbox Showcase Broadcasts, making it a high-profile appearance on both charts.
Call of Duty: Don’t forget about the Black Ops 6 from Activision, Microsoft owned, and the Indiana Jones and the big circle from Bethesda, Microsoft owned. Both will appear on the charts.
What does this tell us? That good game is at the top of the sales chart, whether it comes from Microsoft or not. That’s probably not a surprise. It’s also no surprise to see these games work well on the PlayStation. The PS5 was screaming for games like Forza Horizon 5, a great racer on Playground, so it was a very anticipated April release on the console. Then there’s Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. This is what makes Bethesda itching all over the PC and console, and Minecraft is even more popular, with Minecraft Movie going viral and breaking records.
This is now Microsoft’s new normal, and has just announced reloading Gears of War: PC, Xbox and PlayStation. It seems inevitable that Halo, which was once exclusive to the flagship Xbox, will also jump.
last year, Microsoft’s game chief Phil Spencer said that when it comes to multi-platform, there will be no “red line” in the first-party lineup. – And it included halo. I’ll talk BloombergSpencer said that every Xbox game is pointing to the grab when it comes to making multi-platform jumps. “There’s no such thing as a red line in our portfolio that says, ‘You’re not,'” he said.
Spencer says that Xbox’s multi-platform push is about bringing more money to Microsoft’s gaming business.
“We run our business.” Spencer said in August. “It definitely applies within Microsoft. We are high for us in terms of delivery that we have to return to the company because we get a level of support from an incredible company and that’s what we can do.
“So, I’ve seen this and how can I make the game as powerful as possible? Our platform continues to grow on consoles, on PCs, and on the cloud. That will be a strategy that works for us.”
Xbox Games Series Tierlist
Xbox Games Series Tierlist
As former Xbox executive Peter Moore told Passthecontroller last yearBringing Halo to PlayStation will be a topic of discussion at Microsoft for some time.
“If Microsoft says, wait, we’re doing $250 million on our own platform, but if you take Halo, let’s call it a third party. Moore said.
“I mean, you just have to go, yeah, do you need to keep it? It’s intellectual property. It’s bigger than just a game. And how do you make use of it? They’re always conversations, how do you make use of it in everything we do?
“There have been ups and downs, but Xbox wouldn’t be like that without Xbox Halo. But yeah, I’m sure those conversations are going on.
Microsoft is facing a potential backlash from already frustrated hardcore Xbox fans after feeling that Xbox is an underestimation as a console. Losing Halo to the PlayStation could lead to yet another angry response, but Moore told Passthecontroller it wouldn’t stop Microsoft from doing business worthy.
“The problem is, ultimately, enough response to make basic business decisions for the future of Microsoft’s business as well as the game itself,” Moore said. “These hardcores are getting smaller in size and older. They will drive business for the next 10 or 20 years, so they need to accommodate the generations coming.”
Wesley is the UK news editor at Passthecontroller. Find him on @wyp100’s Twitter. You can contact Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
