Is Xbox Finally Joining PlayStation’s State of Play? Major Surprises Ahead!

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In the early part of each year, similar to Xbox and Nintendo, PlayStation typically organizes a digital showcase or presentation. For example, in 2024, the company hosted a State of Play towards the end of January, revealing several significant upcoming releases from both in-house and external developers. This event featured new trailers for numerous major PlayStation exclusives such as Stellar Blade and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, as well as highlighting a few multiplatform titles like Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Sonic x Shadow: Generations. This State of Play event was widely regarded as one of PlayStation’s strongest presentations in recent years, setting a high standard for their future showcases.

As we approach February 2025, there’s a strong possibility that Sony’s PlayStation will organize another State of Play event within a few weeks, and it might occur earlier than some anticipate. The reliable source NateTheHate, who recently disclosed the announcement date for the Nintendo Switch 2, hinted a few days ago that the next PlayStation State of Play could take place between February 10th and 14th, during Valentine’s week. Nate didn’t reveal which publishers would participate in the event, but considering the current industry landscape, it seems plausible, if not probable, that Microsoft will play a significant role.

For the First Time Ever, Xbox Could Have a Major Presence at a PlayStation State of Play

In Recent Months, Xbox Has Become a Major Publisher on PlayStation Consoles

Initially, Microsoft and Sony were fierce rivals, constantly vying for gamers’ allegiance to their respective platforms. However, in more recent times, the relationship between these two companies has significantly evolved. As of early 2024, Microsoft started releasing Xbox exclusive games on PlayStation consoles, such as popular titles like Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 5, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Despite concerns voiced by many Xbox fans about this multiplatform expansion, Microsoft has shown no signs of altering its approach. In fact, they have been intensifying their efforts in this controversial move.

According to the latest remarks from Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Xbox seems to be shifting away from developing exclusive games for its console. Instead, they are considering a multiplatform release for most (if not all) Xbox titles, even major franchises like Halo. These statements corroborate earlier speculations by industry insiders like Jez Corden from Windows Central, who hinted that Microsoft plans to make their upcoming games playable on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles simultaneously, whenever feasible.

Some Major Xbox Games Could Be Announced for PS5 at the State of Play

At present, there are whispers that numerous Xbox games might be under production for the PlayStation 5, such as anticipated exclusives like “Halo: The Master Chief Collection”, “Fable” (2025), “Starfield”, “Gears of War: Ultimate Edition”, and even “Perfect Dark”. If these rumors hold true, it’s possible that Microsoft could make an appearance at Sony’s upcoming State of Play event to unveil some of these games for the PS5. Even if the company doesn’t have fresh updates regarding PS5 ports, they can certainly announce a release date for “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle” on the PlayStation platform during this event, as it’s rumored to be launching on Sony’s current-gen console in the spring.

Even though Microsoft has always maintained a platform-neutral approach, it’s unusual that they haven’t attended PlayStation events previously. Most multiplatform releases announced by the company thus far have been unveiled at Nintendo Directs or presentations hosted by Geoff Keighley, such as Summer Games Fest and The Game Awards. Given the direction Microsoft is heading in, it wouldn’t be shocking if Xbox were to make their debut at a PlayStation State of Play event in 2025, possibly in a significant or minor capacity.

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2025-02-04 20:44