- Satya Nadella says Microsoft topped PlayStation as the most dominant publisher by pre-orders and pre-installs.
- This was largely due to Indiana Jones and Forza Horizon 5, two major first-party releases.
- Similar results were observed by Microsoft on Xbox itself.
Xbox’s latest financial reports are in, revealing various interesting figures about the business. Following a mostly positive financial outlook, CEO Satya Nadella also shared additional statistics regarding Microsoft’s gaming segment.
According to a direct statement, Xbox dominated the PlayStation charts as the biggest publisher last quarter.
Why it matters: Microsoft seems to be achieving exactly what it set out to do when it initially decided to become a multiplatform publisher. These results will only accelerate its push toward multiplatform gaming and may even tempt PlayStation into considering the same approach.
According to Microsoft, the period from January to March was quite fruitful for the gaming business.
As seen above, both Indiana Jones and The Great Circle and Forza Horizon 5 sat at the top of PlayStation’s most pre-ordered titles in March. Both games were released on PS5 in April, around 10 days apart, and managed to dominate the PlayStation Store multiple weeks in advance.
Satya Nadella stated that Microsoft became the top publisher by pre-ordered games and pre-installs across both PlayStation and Xbox. PC Game Pass revenue also went up by 45% year-on-year during the same period.
Apart from the two aforementioned hits, Microsoft’s first-party teams released games like South of Midnight and Avowed for the Xbox Series S|X during the same period. Therefore, even with different titles across both Xbox and PlayStation, Microsoft found plenty of success.
It is also important to note that Microsoft still has big titles coming to PS5 this quarter. Doom: The Dark Ages is expected to be a fine addition to id Software’s lineup of first-person shooters and should prove to be a notable commercial hit.
Moreover, a game like Oblivion Remastered, which was a major hit on PS5 in its own right, should have a positive impact on next quarter’s report.
Microsoft will then follow up with Call of Duty and various other releases on multiple platforms throughout the year. This should set the stage for the publisher to continue dominating across consoles and PC.
What are your thoughts on the multiplatform strategy and its results? Let’s discuss in the comments and on the Tech4Gamers Forums.
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[News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than three years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.