‘The Plan’s the Plan Until It’s Not the Plan’: Xbox All Over the Place on Future PS5 Ports

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It’s a bit unusual that Asha Sharma, the new head of Xbox, is giving interviews to Windows Central so soon after starting her job. However, it’s become clear over the last few years that Microsoft leaders generally enjoy being in the spotlight and sharing information.

She acknowledges she still has a lot to learn about the business, but we talked at length about what she’s planning to do next – or, frankly, what she isn’t.

PlayStation 5 owners will be most interested in her statements about exclusive games. She recently posted on X (formerly Twitter) that she’s aware fans want first-party games to stay exclusive to Xbox.

Here’s her response, in full:

I need to quickly understand the reasoning behind recent decisions – what goals we were trying to achieve and what the current data tells us about the Xbox strategy. To be honest, I’m focused on the long-term value, not just past results or quick wins. We’ll stick with the current plan as long as it continues to make sense.

That last statement really highlights Xbox’s tendency to change course over the years: they stick to a plan until they don’t. Currently, it looks like we can still expect first-party games like Forza Horizon 6 and Fable to be available on PlayStation 5, but that could change if the new leadership decides to go in a different direction.

Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, has consistently backed the company’s strategy of making games available on various platforms. Sharma also noted that many gamers don’t use consoles or Microsoft hardware, and she’s committed to reaching those players as well with quality games.

It seems a little chaotic, doesn’t it? Sharma appears to be trying to win over dedicated Xbox fans, but she hasn’t fully processed all the relevant information to form a clear plan. It’s also unclear why she’s giving an interview so early in her new position.

Xbox hasn’t been selling much hardware lately, and really needs the PlayStation 5’s larger audience to help sell its games.

Although the company could change its stance on requiring exclusive use – something it recently called outdated – regaining its customer base would take years, significantly diminishing the worth of its brands.

With Game Pass being so popular, Microsoft doesn’t need to sell many games at full price on its Xbox consoles. This means they’re more likely to release those games on other platforms as well.

It’s hard to see Sharma reaching a different decision than those who came before her. However, her recent statements are intentionally unclear, likely meant to encourage discussion and anticipation until she speaks more directly.

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2026-02-25 14:07