Halo Xbox PS4 PlayStation 4 1

Microsoft already publishes multiformat games with Minecraft, but as the organisation increasingly looks to expand the reach of its services and subscriptions, there could come a time when it releases franchises like Halo and Gears of War on PlayStation platforms. That’s according to boss Phil Spencer, who’s revealed in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that he’s been given the freedom to reach gamers on any device.

The sticking point, perhaps, is that the Windows maker’s focus right now is on increasing its Xbox Live membership base, and we know that’s been a point of concern for Sony in the past. Microsoft, for example, wants PlayStation 4 owners to sign in to Xbox Live as part of its cross-platform push in Minecraft, something that the Japanese giant seemingly wants nothing to do with.

It’s interesting, though: we all sign in to EA, Activision, and Ubisoft accounts to play big blockbusters, so what’s the difference here? To be honest, we can’t imagine any Xbox first-party titles will be coming to the PS4 any time soon, but as Microsoft becomes increasingly obsessed with memberships and monthly active users, there’s every chance it could start looking to Sony’s global install base in order to grow those metrics.

Maybe.

[source wsj.com]