Xbox is shifting gears, embracing a multiplatform strategy as it struggles to compete with PlayStation and the surging Nintendo Switch 2. 
Once known for its console exclusives, Xbox is now betting on something else entirely-bringing its biggest titles to rival platforms.
Industry analyst Mat Piscatella says we’ve entered a new era where exclusives no longer drive console sales. Speaking to The Game Business, he explained that players are now deeply rooted in their ecosystems-friend lists, digital libraries, and familiarity trump any single exclusive game. “We’re way beyond that point,” Piscatella stated. “People are entrenched into their systems. Bringing the content to them is the only way to win.”
And the numbers back it up. Xbox’s Forza Horizon 5 has become a breakout hit-not on its home turf, but on PlayStation 5, where it currently ranks as the best-selling game of 2025 according to Alinea Analytics. It’s a stark indicator that success for Xbox might lie beyond its own console.
June 2025 marked a turning point: Nintendo Switch 2 became the fastest-selling hardware in U.S. history, while Forza hit the PS5 charts. Piscatella noted that the biggest live service games consume the lion’s share of gaming hours each month, leaving little space for newcomers. In such a crowded field, meeting players where they already are-on PlayStation or Switch-has become crucial.
“The top ten live service games suck up half of all gaming time every month,” he said. “Every other game has to fight for what’s left.” That means platform holders can no longer rely on drawing users to new hardware with a few blockbuster exclusives. Xbox knows this, and is now leaning into broad distribution.
Even PlayStation has been porting titles to PC, signaling a shift in strategy industry-wide. Only Nintendo still holds the line, building its brand around tightly held exclusives-and for now, it works. But Piscatella hints that even Nintendo could benefit from loosening its grip.
Christopher Dring of The Game Business added fuel to the fire, saying Xbox is expected to announce more ports to PS5 and Switch 2 soon-possibly at Gamescom 2025. It’s less of a rumor and more of an inevitability: if a game can sell millions more copies by crossing platforms, why wouldn’t you?
The industry is evolving. Console loyalty now centers on ecosystems, not exclusives. And Xbox, instead of fighting a losing battle for hardware dominance, is pivoting to a platform-agnostic approach to stay relevant in a rapidly consolidating gaming landscape.