You may have noticed that Microsoft has started to include logos of rival platforms in its Xbox showcases, reflecting the company's recent push toward a multiplatform video game strategy. For instance, during the Xbox Developer Direct, the PlayStation 5 logo was displayed alongside Xbox Series X and S, PC, and Game Pass for games like Ninja Gaiden 4, Doom: The Dark Ages, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
This shift in approach was not evident as recently as Microsoft's June 2024 showcase. Doom: The Dark Ages was announced for PlayStation 5 only after the event, though later trailers did feature the PS5 logo. Meanwhile, other titles such as BioWare’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the Diablo 4 expansion Vessel of Hatred, and Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows were listed for Xbox Series X and S and PC, omitting the PS5 version.
In contrast, Sony and Nintendo maintain a different strategy. Sony's recent State of Play event did not mention Xbox, even for multiplatform games like Monster Hunter Wilds, which was shown with only the PS5 logo. Similarly, Sega’s Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, and Onimusha: Way of the Sword were presented as coming to PS4 and PS5, despite also being available on PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
Sony continues to emphasize its consoles as the focal point of its gaming business, a strategy that has worked for decades. Microsoft, on the other hand, has adopted a new marketing approach to reflect its evolving strategy.
In an interview with XboxEra, Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer addressed the inclusion of the PlayStation logo in Xbox showcases:
Is this just hey, this is the band-aid off guys, there’s still going to be different decisions but this is the new era. Get used to the way things are going to be. How would you frame that to the community?
Spencer responded:
I think it’s just being honest and transparent about where the games are showing, and we actually even had this discussion last year for the June showcase, and by the time we kind of made our decision, we couldn’t get all of the assets done and it felt weird to have some of them in and some of them out.
But I just want to be transparent with people — for shipping on Nintendo Switch, we’re gonna put that. For shipping on PlayStation, on Steam... People should know the storefronts where they can get our games, but I want people to be able to experience our Xbox community in our games and everything we have to offer, on every screen we can.
And obviously not every screen is equal. Yeah, like there’s certain things we can’t do on the other closed platforms that we can do on open platforms, cloud — it’s different. But games should be the thing that we’re focused on. And the strategy that we have allows us to do big games, while also supporting our native platform from hardware to the platform and services that we have and that’s going to be our approach.
And I know it’s not what everybody else is doing, but I just believe games should be the thing that’s at the forefront. Maybe it’s because of how I’ve grown up in this industry. I came from building games. But I think the games are the things that I see growing in their strength in what we’re doing and it’s because more people can play. So yeah, I’m just trying to be open and transparent with people.
Given this, it's likely that future Xbox showcases, such as the anticipated June 2025 event, will feature PS5 and potentially Nintendo Switch 2 logos for games like Gears of War: E-Day, Fable, Perfect Dark, State of Decay 3, and the next Call of Duty. However, don't anticipate Sony and Nintendo to adopt a similar approach anytime soon.
