Microsoft’s strategy to expand Xbox titles to PlayStation is showing early signs of success, with Xbox-owned games topping Sony’s PlayStation Store preorder charts. As of March 26, the most preordered games in the US PS Store are Microsoft-owned Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Forza Horizon 5. The premium versions of these titles, both priced at $99.99, lead in sales.
According to The Verge, there are similar preorder rankings in the Canadian PlayStation Store and throughout European markets, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, developed by Microsoft-owned Bethesda, will be released on PS5 on April 17. Premium buyers will have early access beginning April 15. Meanwhile, Forza Horizon 5 is scheduled to arrive on Sony’s console on April 29.
Microsoft games on PS5: Sony users are interested
Microsoft’s move to bring more Xbox titles to PlayStation comes at a time when gamers on the latter platform are desperate for newer titles, facing the shadow of several remasters and remakes of past games.
Sony’s first-party studios’ next major release is DOOM: The Dark Ages, which will be available on the PS Store on May 15, about a month and twenty days from now. The long wait has certainly given PS5 users more reasons to buy the two former Xbox exclusives, but it’s not a trend that began with them.
When Microsoft’s Sea of Thieves debuted on PS5 last April, it became the top seller across the US, Canada, and Europe. The game was among Sony’s top downloads for nearly six months.
The Xbox manufacturer is doubling down on its “Xbox Everywhere” initiative, which aims to expand the reach of its games beyond its hardware ecosystem. Reports suggest that Microsoft is also preparing a selection of Xbox titles for Nintendo’s anticipated Switch 2, rumoured to launch in June 2025.
PlayStation’s PC ports could lead to Xbox integration
There’s some chatter on social media around the gaming community about how PlayStation is managing its PC ports. Sony has been making its exclusive titles, such as God of War Ragnarok, Ghost of Tsushima, and The Last of Us, available on PC via Steam.
If the next Xbox supports Steam / Epic Game Store, will PlayStation block their PC titles on Microsoft's hardware?
— Jez (@JezCorden) March 22, 2025
If Microsoft allows Xbox players to access Steam libraries, this could enable PlayStation’s PC ports to be playable on Xbox hardware. However, some argue that Sony could block its games from being played on a potential next-generation Xbox, just as it restricts them on cloud gaming services like GeForce Now.
On Monday, The Verge’s Jez Corden posted on X that Sony could “100%” block PlayStation PC ports from running on Xbox if Steam libraries become accessible. Yet, others, including journalist Stephen Totilo, suggest it may not be that cut-throat.
“GeForce Now was about game distribution without consulting publishers,” Totilo responded to Corden’s claims. “That wasn’t anything to do with Valve, and I’d doubt the Steam publishing agreement even allows you to block specific Windows devices.”
PlayStation 5 sales are still way over Xbox Series X|S
In other related news, the 7th Sony console generation PS5 has now outsold its predecessor, the PlayStation 4, and far surpasses the Xbox Series X and Series S in market performance.
Data from Circana’s video game analyst Mat Piscatella shows that, after 52 months on the market, the PS5 sales have towered over the PS4 by 7% in the US. At the end of 2024, the console had its best financial quarter on record, shipping nearly 10 million units.
By contrast, Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Series S are being outsold by the Xbox One by 19%.
In February 2025, the PlayStation 5 was the best-selling gaming hardware in both units and revenue, handing over 1.1 million units. The Xbox Series X and S ranked third in unit sales with 261,462, falling behind Nintendo Switch’s 514,238 sales.
Sony’s PlayStation Portal handheld was also the top-selling gaming accessory in the month, followed by the Midnight Black PS5 Portal Remote Player, which ranked third, and the DualSense Edge Wireless Controller came fifth.
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