According to Bloomberg, Microsoft may be shifting its approach to Xbox exclusives, moving closer to Sony’s strategy. Under the new direction led by Xbox head Ash Sharma, the company is reportedly planning to keep major single-player projects—especially expensive AAA games from its internal studios—exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem. This is expected to encompass Xbox Series consoles, PC, and the upcoming Helix console, described as a hybrid of a gaming console and a computer.
Multiplayer games, however, are expected to remain multiplatform. This approach has already been applied to several Xbox projects, as it helps maintain a broad audience, in-game sales, and online services across different devices. In other words, Microsoft may be splitting its strategy: using story-driven blockbusters to strengthen the platform while releasing online games more widely.
The goal of this new direction is reportedly to boost Xbox platform sales after the focus on Game Pass failed to deliver the expected results. According to the report, by the end of fiscal year 2026, the service had around 30 million subscribers, whereas the initial target set back in 2017 was 77 million. The gap of 47 million users is likely one of the factors driving the strategic rethink.
These changes are taking place amid a major restructuring of Microsoft’s gaming division. Reports have emerged of mass layoffs, the loss of some studios that may be sold or become independent, and the cancellation of several unannounced games. Additionally, earlier information surfaced about the suspension of negotiations and Game Pass contracts with external developers, though it is unclear whether these were later resumed.
If the rumor proves true, Xbox will essentially attempt to use single-player exclusives as a tool to grow its own platform—much like PlayStation does. However, Sony’s example shows that this strategy does not always directly boost hardware sales, especially when it comes to timed exclusives.
About the Author
