A new report from the Alinea Newsletter shows that Xbox titles released onto the PlayStation store have been having a field day, with an impressive total revenue of $667 million generated. Forza Horizon 5 brought in the most cash, raking in $5.8 million, followed by Sea of Thieves at $2.7 million and Oblivion Remastered at $1.2 million. Other titles mentioned in the report include DOOM: The Dark Ages, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Gears of War: Reloaded. 

This all comes as new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and chief content officer Matt Booty are assessing the multiplatform release of Xbox games, and have not hinted at any explicit plans for what they intend to do. Whether Xbox returns to exclusivity with their games is up in the air and nothing can be determined, however Alinea Newsletter writer Rhys Elliott says that “While it differs by game, the PlayStation audience is engaged, spending, and in some cases, a better fit than the Xbox and Steam counterparts”, implying that it may be a sweeter deal for Xbox to continue with its multiplatform releases. However, Rhys also says that there exists a “messier possibility” that the leadership at Xbox cannot make up their minds and that “this letter represents real strategic uncertainty dressed in confident language”. 

The open letter put out by Xbox which Rhys is referring to elaborates on the new direction Sharma wants to take the company, stating Xbox wants to pursue a “high agency” culture that encourages exploring new ideas and collaboration across teams, while also acknowledging existing problems that have led to player frustrations, inconsistent execution, and a change in identity. Sharma and Booty state that they will focus on four priorities, that being hardware, content, experience, and services, and in doing so fix the fundamentals that new Xbox leadership feels the company lost sight of. 

Xbox has always been a powerful force in the world of gaming, rivaling PlayStation and creating iconic and classic hits like Halo, Gears of War, and Fable. While many were dissatisfied with the direction Microsoft Gaming was going, Sharma and her team are promising meaningful change and a return to the glory days. Whether this manifests itself is yet to be seen, but for all of us with fond memories growing up with Xbox, it would be a welcome return to form.