Video game exclusives have been a big draw for years now, but it’s a strategy that Microsoft appears to have abandoned over recent years. Microsoft has released more titles from its first-party studios across multiple platforms, like the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch consoles, and several upcoming games are also set to launch for these systems in the future. But could Microsoft ever return to having exclusive games? New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma isn’t ruling out a return to the old console ways, depending on the situation at hand.
“Right now, I need to learn, candidly. About the ‘why’ of these decisions, what we were optimizing for, and what the data says about the Xbox strategy today,” Sharma said to Windows Central. “That’s the honest answer. I’m looking at lifetime value, not just what happened in a previous moment, or in short-term efficiencies and things like that. The plan’s the plan until it’s not the plan.”
It’s worth noting that Microsoft has experienced great success by bringing several of its games to PlayStation, as several of them dominated the sales charts in 2025. The only inconsistent thing with this strategy is the release dates, as some games launch the same day for multiple systems while others arrive months later after spending several months as timed exclusives on Xbox Series X|S and PC. Prime examples here include Fable and Forza Horizon 6, two new titles from Playground Games. Forza Horizon 6 is releasing on PS5 after the Xbox launch, while Fable will be on both platforms day-and-date.
Sharma’s other point that she alludes to is focused on the long-term success of these games and how they can drive audiences toward the Xbox brand if they remain exclusive to that platform. After all, why buy an Xbox console if you can get the same game on your PS5 eventually?
Last week was a tumultuous one for Xbox, after Microsoft announced that Phil Spencer and his heir apparent, Sarah Bond, were leaving the gaming division. Sharma started her first day on the job earlier this week, and Xbox founder Seamus Blackley said that she will soon see how gamers are generally impatient and intolerant. Meanwhile, Sharma has said that she wants to see Xbox return to its roots and help her teams build games with deep emotional resonance.