The fact that Microsoft has been more open to making its top Xbox Series X|S games available on PlayStation 5 has been great for sales. However, it seems that this reciprocity might not apply equally to Xbox owners, as three major upcoming games published by Microsoft will be foregoing physical releases on the Xbox Series X|S. In contrast, PS5 gamers can look forward to purchasing physical versions of all three titles.
Here are three video games under consideration: The Outer Worlds 2, Ninja Gaiden 4, and Gears of War: Reloaded, all listed on Amazon. It doesn’t appear that Microsoft is showing preference for the PS5 over its own console. Instead, this could be an aspect of Microsoft’s strategy to focus more on digital-only game releases.
Instead of including a physical disc, The Other Worlds 2 and Ninja Gaiden 4 for the Series X|S will only come with a download code. Interestingly, Gears of War: Reloaded won’t offer a physical option at all; it’s exclusively a digital release, except for its PS5 version.
During a conversation with Game File last year, the head of Xbox Gaming at Microsoft, Phil Spencer, shared that most Xbox games are sold digitally. He further stated that Microsoft is just responding to the customer trends. However, this digital shift seems to be speeding up for Microsoft particularly this year. This rapid change might be due to apprehensions about whether the gaming sector could face significant impacts from tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
Among the trio of upcoming games, Gears of War: Reloaded is set to debut on August 26 across Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC. Subsequently, Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2 will hit these same platforms on October 20 and October 29 respectively. Recently, Brandon Adler, director of The Outer Worlds 2, expressed his thoughts on Microsoft setting the price for its sequel at $80.
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2025-06-13 19:39