Microsoft Reportedly Plans More Xbox Exclusives to Boost Console Sales — Which Games Could Skip PlayStation?

Microsoft is reportedly planning to make more of its best games exclusive to Xbox to give gamers a reason to buy the console. New Xbox boss Asha Sharma has already started this shift, with Gears of War: E-Day from The Coalition and inXile's Clockwork Revolution launching only on Xbox Series X|S and PC, skipping PlayStation 5. According to Bloomberg, Microsoft intends to return to exclusives more significantly, though big multiplayer games will continue to release across platforms including PS5. This raises the question: which top Xbox titles might skip PS5? Some games already confirmed for PS5 include Forza Horizon 6 (though no release date yet), Fable (February 23, 2027 on PS5, Xbox, and PC), and Minecraft Dungeons 2 (September 29, 2026 on all platforms). However, major upcoming games like The Elder Scrolls 6, a single-player title, could potentially be Xbox console exclusive. Keeping such a massive game off PlayStation would be a huge decision, sacrificing hundreds of millions in revenue to boost Xbox sales. Rumored Fallout 3 and New Vegas remasters might also skip PS5. The biggest question is whether the next mainline Halo game will return to exclusive roots, especially after this summer's multiplatform Halo: Campaign Evolved. These moves are part of a refocus on the Xbox console amid a severe hardware crisis, with Xbox lagging behind PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. Meanwhile, Microsoft is conducting massive layoffs—1,600 this week and another 1,600 over the next year—and five studios are leaving Xbox. Sharma admitted the company's video game strategy, including Game Pass and multiplatform bets, had failed, necessitating a reset.