"No Red Lines" When It Comes To Xbox Games On PlayStation Says Phil Spencer

As Xbox decided earlier this year to port some of its games over to PlayStation many wondered how far they'd go, assuming some of their flagship titles would be where they draw the line. According to the man himself, Head Of Microsoft gaming Phil Spencer, that appears to not be the case.

Speaking in a recent interview with Bloomberg, Spencer touched on many topics including an Xbox handheld, their mobile plans and more acquisitions. But perhaps the most interesting part was what was said about the porting of games to its chief rival as well as a comment about the next Halo.

Sea Of Thieves has done very well on PlayStation for Xbox

Spencer said that they were pleased with the results of the first batch of games that were ported to PlayStation. He would then go on to say that nothing is off the table when it comes to future ports. "I do not see sort of red lines in our portfolio that say "˜thou must not,' " he said.

Perhaps just as interesting is that when asked about Halo coming to PlayStation he told Bloomberg that it's too early to make any decision on the next Halo. While that certainly isn't a yes or no, the fact that he left the door open for its iconic franchise will be eye popping for many.

It's too early to say if the next Halo will come through other platforms says Phil Spencer

What this ultimately means for Xbox going forward is anyone's guess. Just because Spencer has said there are no red lines doesn't necessarily mean the floodgates will open. Xbox will need some exclusives to keep the interest in their consoles (Phil said he loves the team building devices, so I don't think there's any risk of them abandoning their own console), but at the end of the day it's about making money.

Xbox as a brand has a lot of excitement around it right now. Black Ops 6 is doing well on Game Pass and they have Stalker 2, Flight Sim 2024 and Indiana Jones & The Great Circle all around the corner. They also recently showed off more South Of Midnight which is generating some buzz.

While this interview will likely see a section of the fanbase get frustrated and upset and kill some of that buzz, at this point it should probably be expected.

Acquisitions & Handhelds

Touching on the long rumoured Xbox handheld, Spencer said that the team is looking at creating one and the "expectation is that we would do something" but that it is likely years away as they research and prototype what they want to make.

"Longer term, I love us building devices," Spencer said. "And I think our team could do some real innovative work, but we want to be informed by learning and what's happening now."

While we will likely see an Xbox handheld one day, it's probably a few years away

Lastly on the topic of acquisition Spencer said to not expect any big purchases as they are still integrating Activision, however they are always keeping their eyes and ears open for more potential partnerships.

"We definitely want to be in the market, and when we can find teams and technology and capability that add to what we're trying to do in gaming at Microsoft, absolutely we will keep our heads up," he says.

Whatever ends up happening, Phil says the Xbox business is doing better than ever as they look forward to 2025. "The Xbox business has never been more healthy. The business is performing right now, and I think that means a more healthy future for hardware and the games we build."

With the lineup Xbox has been touting for 2025, it certainly appears that we can expect a lot from the company moving forward.