You might have noticed that Microsoft is now making a point to flag that its games are coming to rival platforms during Xbox showcases. This is part of their broader strategy to push multiplatform video games, a trend we've seen in recent months. For instance, during the Xbox Developer Direct, PlayStation 5 logos appeared alongside Xbox Series X and S, PC, and Game Pass at the end of segments for Ninja Gaiden 4, Doom: The Dark Ages, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Contrastingly, at Microsoft’s June 2024 showcase, this wasn't the case. Doom: The Dark Ages was announced for PlayStation 5 right after the Xbox event, though later trailers did include the PS5 logo. Games like BioWare’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the Diablo 4 expansion Vessel of Hatred, and Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows were listed for Xbox Series X and S and PC, omitting the PS5 version.

Sony and Nintendo, however, maintain a different approach. The recent State of Play showcase didn't mention Xbox at all, even though it included multiplatform games. For example, the Monster Hunter Wilds segment only showed the release date and PS5 logo, with no mention of PC, Steam, or Xbox. Similarly, Sega’s Shinobi: Art of Vengeance was shown as coming to PS4 and PS5, despite also being available on PC via Steam, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and Onimusha: Way of the Sword followed suit.

Sony continues to focus on reinforcing its consoles as the primary interest point for PlayStation. Meanwhile, Microsoft's shift in strategy has led to a noticeable change in their marketing approach.

In an interview with XboxEra, Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer addressed the inclusion of PlayStation logos in Xbox showcases:

Is this just hey, this is the band-aid off guys, there’s still going to be different decisions but this is the new era. Get used to the way things are going to be. How would you frame that to the community?

Spencer responded:

I think it’s just being honest and transparent about where the games are showing, and we actually even had this discussion last year for the June showcase, and by the time we kind of made our decision, we couldn’t get all of the assets done and it felt weird to have some of them in and some of them out.

But I just want to be transparent with people — for shipping on Nintendo Switch, we’re gonna put that. For shipping on PlayStation, on Steam... People should know the storefronts where they can get our games, but I want people to be able to experience our Xbox community in our games and everything we have to offer, on every screen we can.

And obviously not every screen is equal. Yeah, like there’s certain things we can’t do on the other closed platforms that we can do on open platforms, cloud — it’s different. But games should be the thing that we’re focused on. And the strategy that we have allows us to do big games, while also supporting our native platform from hardware to the platform and services that we have and that’s going to be our approach.

And I know it’s not what everybody else is doing, but I just believe games should be the thing that’s at the forefront. Maybe it’s because of how I’ve grown up in this industry. I came from building games. But I think the games are the things that I see growing in their strength in what we’re doing and it’s because more people can play. So yeah, I’m just trying to be open and transparent with people.

Given this perspective, it's likely we'll see more PS5 and, eventually, Nintendo Switch 2 logos featured in future Xbox showcases. For example, at the anticipated June 2025 showcase, games like Gears of War: E-Day, Fable, Perfect Dark, State of Decay 3, and the upcoming Call of Duty might be displayed with a PS5 logo alongside Xbox.

However, don't expect Nintendo and Sony to adopt a similar approach in their marketing strategies.