Microsoft's first-party initiative on PS5 and Nintendo Switch is gaining momentum. The Xbox Store will launch on the Sony console and other platforms later this year.
The Xbox manufacturer has now released the first Xbox first-party games on PS5, including pentiment and hifi rushThis April will also see the biggest release to date. Sea of Thieves, which is already generating incredible hype for PS5. More Xbox first-party games for PS5 are reportedly in the pipeline and are expected to follow sooner or later.
An Xbox Store on PS5 & Co. is a logical step.
The next logical step for Microsoft will therefore not be to stop at the four currently planned or released games. Along with Minecraft Given the PS5's extensive Bethesda catalog and the recent addition of Activision/Blizzard games, bringing the Xbox Store to the PS5 is a logical step. There's already plenty of content available, and much more is on the way. Furthermore, Microsoft sees additional advantages in this move.
Firstly, this should make it clearer to users which games are actually from Microsoft, as they can purchase them directly from Xbox. Currently, this is only indicated as a minor note under "Publisher." This is insufficient to highlight the exceptional quality of Microsoft games. Furthermore, this will significantly simplify Microsoft's release planning and management. The detour via the PlayStation Store is unnecessary, costly, and often makes them dependent on Sony.
The Xbox Store on PS5 is not intended to be competition
The Xbox Store, however, is limited to games from Microsoft itself and not to third-party games. These must still be purchased from the PlayStation Store to avoid creating a direct competitor.
"The Xbox Store on PS5 is not intended to be a competitor to the PlayStation Store," said an Xbox spokesperson. "Initially, it will exclusively feature Xbox-owned games, which we will present according to our vision. Third-party games on PS5 will still need to be purchased through the PlayStation Store."
Microsoft's announcement isn't really surprising. Just a few days ago, they had already... Polygon He explained that, in return, they could envision more digital stores being available on Xbox. Xbox boss Phil Spencer specifically mentioned the Epic Games Store and Itch.io, which would further weaken the current business model of an exclusive platform.
“I ask myself: What are the obstacles? What creates friction between developers and players in today’s world? How can we help open up this model? Spencer himself provides the answer. More digital storefronts could help.”
Third-party stores on PS5 aren't entirely new. In a broader sense, they already include Netflix, WoW, the Apple TV Store, and similar services, except that these offer movies and TV series rather than traditional games.
More details about the Xbox Store on PS5 will be revealed later this April. 😏
April April
I'll believe it when I see it.
This sounds so serious it could be true. Microsoft's lifeline if the Xbox crashes.