A new rumor suggests Final Fantasy 7 Remake is finally coming to Xbox in 2025, with Rebirth heading across in 2026 — as more Xbox games head to PS5...

[Windows Central]

Speaking on his podcast, NateTheHate shared new rumors on Xbox's future plans, and we can corroborate at least some of them with our own sources.

A new rumor suggests Final Fantasy 7 Remake is finally coming to Xbox in 2025, with Rebirth heading across in 2026 — as more Xbox games head to PS5... : Read more

 

[fatpunkslim]

@Jez Corden A year ago, you were saying the same thing about Starfield and Forza Horizon 5, and nothing! By throwing out game names randomly, maybe one out of ten false rumors will be true, but that doesn't mean I see Xbox releasing big franchises like Gears, Halo, etc., on PlayStation. If it's Gears 1 Ultimate Edition, it will introduce Gears to PlayStation players and create frustration because the other Gears games, especially Gears E-Day, will remain exclusive, so it's a good move. For Flight Simulator, it's a niche game, so why not. For Halo, I don't think so; it would only make sense if a new Halo were released exclusively at the same time, and even then, Halo is very much associated with the Xbox image, I'm not sure they would take the risk!

Unlike you, even if there are no red lines as you say, it doesn't mean there isn't a thought process (latitude: yes or not multiplat) that goes beyond the simple search for immediate and short-term profitability like you said. Here too, we can quote Phil Spencer, who states that all decisions are made with a long-term logic to support the Xbox ecosystem, its hardware, its games, and its development studios, so it's a bit more complicated than you think, my dear Jez.

They will inevitably stick to the current strategy, which is to maintain a balance between multiplatform and exclusive games, knowing that 99% of multiplatform games were already multiplatform and 99% of exclusive games remained exclusive. So, concretely, we haven't seen a change in strategy, apart from four small games, which is nothing compared to all the Xbox licenses. Your assumptions are only based on rumors. The problem is that it only takes one game to become multiplatform for people to make generalizations and wild assumptions.

You talk about everything being temporary exclusives, when? In how many generations? For how long? Again, these are statements coming out of nowhere except from your crystal ball. Even if that were the case, beyond 2-3 years, the effect is the same as a total exclusive, the majority of players attached to a license are not ready to wait 2-3 years to play a game, so it's the same in the end, the desired effect of frustration and attractiveness is the same at 99%.

Speaking of temporary exclusives, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Final Fantasy 7 Remake join the long list of games formerly exclusive to PlayStation that are landing on Xbox: Kena, Sifu, Death Stranding (then Death Stranding 2), Persona 3 Reload, Forspoken, Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts, MLB The Show, Nioh, spyro, crash bandicoot (because acquisitions for the last 2), etc...

There are more former PlayStation exclusives landing on Xbox than the other way around. It's logical, Xbox has 3X more studios than PS, so more historically multiplatform games like COD, Doom, Outer Worlds but also more exclusive games for the same reasons. And at the same time, most of playstation exclusives are third party, so They can't have exclusivity contracts that long, especially since they are becoming increasingly expensive.

PlayStation already has fewer and fewer exclusives because third-party publishers don't want to make games for just one console (except for very small studios), my prediction is that Xbox already has more exclusives than PlayStation and that will continue. Just look at the 2025-2026 lineup with many exclusives like Fable, Avowed, Gears, Perfect Dark, State of Decay 3, Replaced, Contraband, South of Midnight, etc.... Even if some of these games land on PlayStation say 4 years later, where is the difference? It's the same, the production capacity of Xbox studios is such that they will always have a lead in exclusive games!

It will take some time for people to realize it, but it will happen, and it will completely contradict the assumptions of some who predict Xbox as a full third-party publisher. We'll see in a few months / years who is right, even if people like you slow down this realization because you distort reality, but it's okay.

 

[Jez Corden]

"A year ago, you were saying the same thing about Starfield and Forza Horizon 5, and nothing! By throwing out game names randomly, maybe one out of ten false rumors will be true."

please find where I said this. i never reported here that starfield or forza horizon 5 is coming to playstation (altho I personally believe they are). i was actually the one of the first people to report the specific games going multiplatform. i also said microsoft/squeenix would reveal pixel remasters at tokyo game show and they did.

i never said they wont have a production lead in exclusives. and I dont have time frames for how long games will be exclusive, so im not reporting it. if, like you say, im just making **** up, why wouldn't I make that up? you just dont like to face the realities here. you're arguing against things I didn't really say. im confused.

 

[Ron-F]

Consoles are becoming more expensive and Spencer already hinted the next generation may release with a full price, without subsidies. As such, I would expect most gamers will not have multiple consoles. In this case, why one would choose Xbox over Switch or PlayStation? The best thing Xbox can offer is Gamepass. However, if the service is not your cup of tea, you’ll be better served by Nintendo or Sony. I’m not confident in the future of Xbox consoles.

 

[kdawg]

@Jez Corden A year ago, you were saying the same thing about Starfield and Forza Horizon 5, and nothing! By throwing out game names randomly, maybe one out of ten false rumors will be true, but that doesn't mean I see Xbox releasing big franchises like Gears, Halo, etc., on PlayStation. If it's Gears 1 Ultimate Edition, it will introduce Gears to PlayStation players and create frustration because the other Gears games, especially Gears E-Day, will remain exclusive, so it's a good move. For Flight Simulator, it's a niche game, so why not. For Halo, I don't think so; it would only make sense if a new Halo were released exclusively at the same time, and even then, Halo is very much associated with the Xbox image, I'm not sure they would take the risk!

Unlike you, even if there are no red lines as you say, it doesn't mean there isn't a thought process (latitude: yes or not multiplat) that goes beyond the simple search for immediate and short-term profitability like you said. Here too, we can quote Phil Spencer, who states that all decisions are made with a long-term logic to support the Xbox ecosystem, its hardware, its games, and its development studios, so it's a bit more complicated than you think, my dear Jez.

They will inevitably stick to the current strategy, which is to maintain a balance between multiplatform and exclusive games, knowing that 99% of multiplatform games were already multiplatform and 99% of exclusive games remained exclusive. So, concretely, we haven't seen a change in strategy, apart from four small games, which is nothing compared to all the Xbox licenses. Your assumptions are only based on rumors. The problem is that it only takes one game to become multiplatform for people to make generalizations and wild assumptions.

You talk about everything being temporary exclusives, when? In how many generations? For how long? Again, these are statements coming out of nowhere except from your crystal ball. Even if that were the case, beyond 2-3 years, the effect is the same as a total exclusive, the majority of players attached to a license are not ready to wait 2-3 years to play a game, so it's the same in the end, the desired effect of frustration and attractiveness is the same at 99%.

Speaking of temporary exclusives, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Final Fantasy 7 Remake join the long list of games formerly exclusive to PlayStation that are landing on Xbox: Kena, Sifu, Death Stranding (then Death Stranding 2), Persona 3 Reload, Forspoken, Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts, MLB The Show, Nioh, spyro, crash bandicoot (because acquisitions for the last 2), etc...

There are more former PlayStation exclusives landing on Xbox than the other way around. It's logical, Xbox has 3X more studios than PS, so more historically multiplatform games like COD, Doom, Outer Worlds but also more exclusive games for the same reasons. And at the same time, most of playstation exclusives are third party, so They can't have exclusivity contracts that long, especially since they are becoming increasingly expensive.

PlayStation already has fewer and fewer exclusives because third-party publishers don't want to make games for just one console (except for very small studios), my prediction is that Xbox already has more exclusives than PlayStation and that will continue. Just look at the 2025-2026 lineup with many exclusives like Fable, Avowed, Gears, Perfect Dark, State of Decay 3, Replaced, Contraband, South of Midnight, etc.... Even if some of these games land on PlayStation say 4 years later, where is the difference? It's the same, the production capacity of Xbox studios is such that they will always have a lead in exclusive games!

It will take some time for people to realize it, but it will happen, and it will completely contradict the assumptions of some who predict Xbox as a full third-party publisher. We'll see in a few months / years who is right, even if people like you slow down this realization because you distort reality, but it's okay.

There are many false equivalences you continue to point out like acting like timed 3rd party exclusives are the same as 1st party exclusives in part of a larger plan to be ported over to (in MS' own words) what was 'previously' their competitor. MS has told you continuously, thousands of times, that they are committed to putting more games on PlayStation and Nintendo. Satya Nadella has come out and declared that he wants MS to be the biggest publisher in gaming. There are several rumors that have been verified about 1st party Xbox games getting ported over to PS, first it started with the "four games", ended up being true. Then, Indiana Jones being a timed exclusive, ended up being true. The new Doom title rumored to being day and date on PlayStation also ended up being true. Now, again, we have several titles rumored coming from basically, the same sources that that made those previous rumors known to the public. By now, rumors of Forza eventually hitting Playstation would've been shot down. That's a tentpole IP for Xbox, if (or when) it ends up on that platform, be prepared to see the full swing of the "change in strategy" that the Chief Financial Officer of Microsoft told to Wells Fargo bankers in regards to Microsoft's gaming buisness. The change in strategy has already happened. Phil was recently interviewed and this man literally said that it was "too early" to see how MS was going to rollout the new Halo games on other platforms like Playstation, which, surely this should tell you that they are actively thinking on how to expand the franchise to new players. I also find it funny how Nintendo isn't mentioned anywhere in your monologue about MS games being ported over.

 

[fjtorres5591]

Consoles are becoming more expensive and Spencer already hinted the next generation may release with a full price, without subsidies. As such, I would expect most gamers will not have multiple consoles. In this case, why one would choose Xbox over Switch or PlayStation? The best thing Xbox can offer is Gamepass. However, if the service is not your cup of tea, you’ll be better served by Nintendo or Sony. I’m not confident in the future of Xbox consoles.

And you don't think GamePass is a compelling exclusive all its own?

Look at the rumor of that dozen or so XBOX games coming this year: if you want to sample all of them on PlayStation you're talking over $800. Or $240 on XBOX. That's about 3 games worth.

More, you can play all those games (and 500 others) for that same amount on existing consoles. And last gen consoles. The newer ones you won't even need a console.

All the focus on the (soon to be over-priced) boxes forgets the interests of the developers. And when you add up all the XBOX consoles plus PCs and the streaming customers, the Xbox ecosystem might very well be bigger than Sony's. Developing for XBOX is targeting the *bigger* customer base. If not now, soon. And remember it takes five+ years to develop a game. Developers have to target the world of 2030, not 2020. If they're not careful, they can end up with a CONCORD or VEILGUARD.

We are in a time of transition from the hardware-driven model to the ecosystem model. The driver is the economics of gaming not Spencer, Bond, or Nadella. They're just the ones who saw it coming ten years ago and started to position themselves for the new era.

And at the end of the transition, the dominant ecosystem will be whichever gets there "firstest with the mostest" right now, that looks to be XBOX.
100 studios.
20+ Live service games.
Deepest library.
Broadest IP scope.
And broadest range of supported entry points.

How many of those does Sony claim?
Unless they change and fast they will be an afterthought in the battles between Tencent, XBOX, and STREAM BY 2030.

 

[Lurking_Lurker_Lurks]

Regardless of what does or doesn't go multiplatform, Xbox hardware's only real issue is looking weaker than it's competition. Playstation similarly has less exclusives than as the majority of the platform's exclusives have always been third party games, and many of those (arguably the best) have all started to pursue multiplatform releases day one. Xbox hardware factually has more support, as in more game franchises that were formerly exclusive to other platforms, than ever before. A surprisingly big fuss was made over Bethesda and ABK as if those aren't publishers they bought which had been mostly multiplatform prior (well not surprising; Phil Spencer very vocally announced one strategy of exclusivity and has since pivoted to another). When Sony purchased Bungie (the closest purchase to them buying a publisher), they similarly didn't impose of Bungie's multiplatform release strategy. In terms of first party exclusives, Xbox factually can't even lose as any first party exclusives as they've already gained in third party exclusives (plus MLB the show). The "Xbox has no games" brigade doesn't really have a leg to stand on anymore, so they've pivoted to "most Xbox games are on/going to other platforms" which is likely true but what is left blind is that this is true of all platforms. Without their third party exclusives all of a sudden Sony's own first party game output is pitiful. Regardless of the fact the vast, vast majority of all games on each platform are third party and they're the vast majority of what people spend their time and money in.

What Xbox has failed to do, ever since they first started day one PC for first party, is rewrite this narrative that exclusives matter at all. What should be selling console hardware is the console itself and the gaming experience you get within that ecosystem. Again, most games that most people play are on every platform. Again, Xbox has more games than ever including more former exclusives from other consoles. Xbox (Microsoft) marketing has to focus on WHY people should want to use their platform for their hardware and ecosystem, and not for the privelege to play XYZ first party game. They've never really even tried to do this. For example, as digital takes over an ecosystem wherein your owned game library follows you across console, cloud, and PC (and maybe mobile down the line) is peak. You'd think this would be the focus of the "this is an Xbox" campaign and it kinda is if you read the blog posts. The campaign itself doesn't make it clear that the ecosystem puts you at the center and gives you control over your library. Most gamers on console don't even experience free cloud saves (neither PS nor Nintendo have it), so swapping between devices that probably didn't click.

A big part of the problem was that Xbox themselves were advancing the idea that exclusives sell consoles up until 2024. It was reiterated when Zenimax closed and they used it as the crux of their argument during the very public ABK court case. It was stated that Microsoft doesn't like that method of competition, but it was never stated that they intended to change it. Even in the damage control fireside chat, the Xbox execs did NOT to display the dwindling importance of console exclusives or to present Xbox's own success in pulling over many MANY games that were formerly exclusive on other platforms. They just did damage control and gave some fairly hollow words. Xbox 100% can survive making all their first party games multiplatform, because that's an archaic form of competition that the gaming industry as a whole has evolved past, but none of that matters if they don't make that clear. Xbox has always had god awful marketing and Microsoft even worse messaging, and now it is really biting them in the butt. Stagnating console sales are a failure of the market, but Xbox Series sales looking like they'll stop short of the Xbox One is a complete failure of Xbox marketing. They aren't actually taking the time to say "why Xbox" and they certainly aren't putting in the necessary work to rewrite the narrative of how consoles compete to coincide with their multiplatform strategy. Again this isn't even a new issue. They had the same problem with day one PC and have NEVER done anything about it. Like they give more focus to day one PC, more than they do Xbox Play Anywhere. That's a problem.

In my eyes consoles have utterly failed to present themselves as a desirable product. Up to this point they've presented the games they give you the privelege of buying and playing as a desirable product. (Arguments could be made for the Switch and other such console hardware which specifically used unique hardware as a selling point). I see that as a failure of the console market in general and why they really have struggled to take off. Additionally, I think the walled gardens to the point that games aren't even always available on next gen hardware in the same ecosystem have turned people off. As have the lack of basic features like cloud saves. And all of these are issues Xbox has addressed, and yet never really markets. Why not do some campaigns with all the generations of games natively on Xbox with auto improvements? Why not do a campaign with all the former exclusives that for the first time are on Xbox day one? Why not do a campaign about cloud saves and how the Xbox ecosystem is the only one remotely close to being ubiquitous across console, cloud, and PC. Xbox even has the benefit of having a handheld (many handhelds) that can play all first party games with cross progression day one because of this, and an increasing number of third party games with Xbox Play Anywhere. The Xbox One had the right idea, so why didn't it actually market it? Why did it price itself at higher than its competition of it was trying to appeal to brand new gamers without any console? All the Xbox One managed to do is turn the Xbox brand into a joke by alienating the gamers they had and failing to market to anyone new. We're at a similar crossroads where Microsoft will only fail Xbox hardware if they fail with marketing & messaging.