Microsoft's multiplatform strategy is clearly paying dividends, as evidenced by their successful launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC. This was confirmed by Sony through a PlayStation blog post detailing the top-selling games on the PlayStation Store for April 2025.

In the U.S. and Canada, Microsoft games dominated the PS5's non-free-to-play download chart, with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Minecraft, and Forza Horizon 5 securing the top three spots. A similar trend was observed in Europe, where Forza Horizon 5 led the pack, followed by The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered and Minecraft.

This success underscores a simple truth: high-quality games, regardless of their origin, tend to dominate sales charts. It's no surprise to see these titles thrive on PlayStation, particularly with the PS5 eagerly awaiting a game like Forza Horizon 5, which had a much-anticipated April launch. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered satisfies the demand for Bethesda's signature gameplay across PC and console, while Minecraft continues to soar in popularity, boosted by its viral movie success.

Last year, Microsoft’s gaming chief, Phil Spencer, stated there were no "red lines" in their first-party lineup regarding multiplatform releases—including Halo. In an interview with Bloomberg, Spencer emphasized that every Xbox game is a candidate for multiplatform distribution. "I do not see sort of red lines in our portfolio that say 'thou must not,'" he explained.

Spencer highlighted that the multiplatform strategy is partly driven by the need to boost Microsoft's gaming revenue, especially following the $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. "We run a business," Spencer remarked in August. "It's definitely true inside of Microsoft the bar is high for us in terms of the delivery we have to give back to the company. Because we get a level of support from the company that's just amazing and what we're able to go do. So I look at this, how can we make our games as strong as possible? Our platform continues to grow, on console, on PC, and on cloud. It's just going to be a strategy that works for us."

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Former Xbox executive Peter Moore told IGN that the possibility of bringing Halo to PlayStation has likely been discussed at Microsoft. "Look, if Microsoft says, wait, we're doing $250 million on our own platforms, but if we then took Halo as, let's call it a third-party, we could do a billion… You got to think long and hard about that, right?" Moore explained. He emphasized Halo's status as a significant piece of intellectual property that transcends just being a game, and how leveraging it effectively is a key consideration.

Moore acknowledged the potential backlash from hardcore Xbox fans who feel the Xbox brand is being devalued due to fewer exclusives and Microsoft's broader marketing strategy. However, he suggested that Microsoft would not let fan reactions deter them from making strategic business decisions. "The question would be, ultimately, is that reaction enough not to make a fundamental business decision for the future of not only Microsoft’s business, but gaming in itself?" Moore questioned. "Those hardcore are getting smaller in size and older in age. You've got to cater to the generations that are coming through, because they're going to drive the business over the next 10, 20 years."