The aftermath of last week’s State of Play has sparked plenty of discussion, with many pointing out that Xbox could end up publishing more games on the PS5 this year than Sony itself. It’s a striking headline—one that frames PlayStation as a company resting on its laurels while Microsoft scrambles to expand its reach beyond its own struggling console business.
This shift didn’t come out of nowhere. In fact, back in January, I predicted that Microsoft could become PS5’s biggest publisher in 2025. So far, that prediction is looking more plausible, with Forza Horizon 5, Age of Empires 2, and Age of Mythology already confirmed for Sony’s system. Rumors suggest even bigger titles could follow, including Hellblade 2, Gears of War Trilogy, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
But while Microsoft’s growing presence on PlayStation makes for a dramatic narrative, the reality is a bit more nuanced. Unlike Sony, which primarily focuses on releasing new first-party exclusives, Microsoft is taking a different approach—digging into its back catalog and porting past hits alongside its new releases. Sure, Forza Horizon 5 will likely perform well on PS5, but let’s not forget—it’s a nearly four-year-old game.
The comparison also feels somewhat unfair. No one makes the same argument about other third-party publishers like Take-Two or SEGA, both of which are also set for strong years on PlayStation. The fact that Xbox Game Studios may be more active than PlayStation Studios on Sony’s own platform is an interesting twist, but it doesn’t tell the full story.
The biggest missing piece in this conversation is context—specifically, the fact that Microsoft has aggressively acquired two major third-party publishers. PlayStation Studios, with its relatively small roster of around 14 teams, simply can’t match Xbox’s sheer scale, acquisitions or not. It’s not about Sony scaling back—it’s just the reality of the numbers.
Despite the narrative that PlayStation is losing ground, Sony has a strong lineup for 2025, with major titles like Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Ghost of Yotei on the horizon. It also dominated this year’s DICE Awards, taking home 10 trophies for its 2024 releases, and it continues to post record-breaking financial results.
Microsoft’s shifting strategy—bringing more games to PlayStation—is definitely worth discussing. Xbox Game Studios has a packed release schedule for PS5, and competition is always good for players. But the way this is being framed, as if Sony is stagnating while Microsoft charges ahead, feels misleading.
Unless Sony suddenly acquires a few publishers of its own, we should expect Microsoft’s multiformat approach to overshadow PlayStation Studios’ output year after year. That’s not a gotcha moment—it’s just the new reality of the industry.
