Hypothetically, Could Sony Stop Its PS5 Ports from Running on Xbox Helix?

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We now know Xbox Helix, the next-gen system from Microsoft, will run PC games.

This is a significant shift away from the traditional console approach, and it’s still unclear how Microsoft will make it all work.

As a long-time gamer, I’ve always noticed something interesting about PlayStation and Nintendo. They often seem willing to sell their consoles for little to no profit, or even at a loss! It’s like they know if they can just get you to buy into their system, they’ll make their money later on games and accessories. It’s a clever strategy, really.

So, once a game gets popular and lots of people are playing, that’s when the developers really start making money. It’s not just about selling the game itself anymore – they earn most of their revenue through things like in-game purchases, ongoing subscriptions, extra content, and downloadable updates. It’s how they keep the game going, and honestly, it’s a big part of how most games are funded these days!

Allowing players to install stores like Steam on Xbox raises questions about how Microsoft will keep them using Xbox services, and this could significantly affect how much money Xbox makes.

Rumours already suggest the box could cost up to $1,200 to compensate.

This puts PlayStation in a tricky spot, honestly. They were basically selling PC versions of their games not too long ago, so now they’re kinda competing with themselves, which is weird.

The situation has evolved recently, with reports indicating that Sony has stopped working on single-player game remakes, including projects like Ghost of Tsushima and Saros.

If the rumors are true, you’ll soon be able to play major PlayStation exclusives like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and God of War Ragnarok on Xbox, thanks to the new Xbox Helix service.

So, is this something Sony could block in the future?

Our research suggests this might not be possible. We haven’t found any examples of publishers limiting where Steam software can be used, and we believe it could violate Valve’s terms of service.

PlayStation hasn’t taken any steps to stop its games from working on the Xbox ROG Ally X, a handheld gaming PC that came out last year.

Although it briefly made news – with headlines like someone playing Spider-Man 2 on an Xbox – it hasn’t harmed the PS5 or PlayStation’s overall performance.

We expect all PC games – both current and future releases – to be playable on the Xbox Helix, but through Steam. Importantly, Microsoft won’t profit from these games, which reinforces the concerns we previously discussed about the overall business approach.

Sony’s choice to stop releasing single-player games on PC may have been influenced by Microsoft’s approach, but the main reason is likely that these games weren’t making much money.

It will be interesting to observe whether these developments affect the practice of console-exclusive games. Sony has previously paid developers to postpone releasing their games on Xbox – Silent Hill 2, for instance, was only available on PlayStation 5 and PC for a year. This has happened in other cases as well.

Given that Microsoft can simply direct its users to Steam, is there really a benefit to continuing this approach? Neither company seems likely to profit significantly from it, as Microsoft won’t earn anything and Sony’s gains appear limited as well.

It will be fascinating to see how things develop and how this affects PlayStation in the future.

The lines between PC and console have never been more blurred than they are right now.

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2026-03-10 18:07