By bringing its signature release Halo: Campaign Evolved to the PS5, Xbox has underlined once and for all that its business is going in a different direction.
This was already evident from the success of ports like Gears of War Reloaded and Forza Horizon 5, but Master Chief is so symbolic of Microsoft’s gaming division that it feels extraordinary to see the character now associated with the blue of PlayStation.
In an interview with the New York Times, executive Matt Booty – who leads Xbox’s game content and studios – explained that his company no longer sees PS5 as competition.
He said:
“We are all seeking to meet people where they are. Our biggest competition isn’t another console. We are competing more and more with everything from TikTok to movies.”
While this is undeniably true for all platform holders – Sony faces the exact same issues – it seems unlikely Microsoft is going to grow its install base by bringing its software to a competitor’s platform. But increasingly, it feels like the company doesn’t care.
Xbox – and its various acquired subsidiaries – is now seeking to become the largest third-party publisher, and in order to achieve that it needs to release software on the biggest install bases. That includes the PS5.
Earlier this week, Xbox boss Sarah Bond said exclusives are “antiquated”, and explained that all the biggest games are multiformat.
It means more options for those of us playing on PlayStation – and it looks like Halo: Campaign Evolved is going to be another huge success, with its trailer attracting millions upon millions of views across Sony’s various social media channels.
It’s going to be very interesting to see how this one is received in 2026.
Source link
