Xbox Head Phil Spencer Won’t Rule Out Halo on PS5

This year saw several Xbox first-party games make the jump to PlayStation 5, including Pentiment, Sea of Thieves, Grounded, and Hi-Fi Rush. Those games seem to be selling quite well on Sony’s system, but many fans are wondering just how far Microsoft will go when it comes to PS5 ports. Thus far, the company has avoided bringing over its biggest exclusives, such as Gears of War, Forza, and Halo. The possibility of Halo on PS5 has been a burning question since this initiative began, and Xbox boss Phil Spencer was asked about franchises that might be off limits in an interview with Bloomberg.

“I do not see sort of red lines in our portfolio that say ‘thou must not,’” Spencer told Bloomberg. When asked about the potential of the next Halo ending up on a rival console, Spencer said that decision is too early to make.

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Since Halo: Combat Evolved released in 2001, the series has remained exclusive to Xbox and PC. Over the last two decades, Master Chief has become the closest thing Xbox has to a mascot, and the character’s arrival on another platform would be a pretty big deal. There were rumors that a Halo game for Nintendo DS was in development back in 2007, but the official nature of a tech demo for the game has been frequently denied. That’s about the closest thing we’ve seen thus far, and it remains to be seen whether that will ever change.

It’s not hard to imagine Halo finding success on PlayStation. The series has huge name recognition, and would be treated as a big deal. It could also help Halo’s image following the cancellation of the Paramount+ show, and introduce the franchise to new fans. That said, while Phil Spencer does not see a red line when it comes to what games should be ported to PS5, many fans see Halo as the ultimate red line. Microsoft’s current strategy is to get people playing Xbox games on any platform they can, regardless of whether it’s through Game Pass, or through releases on rival platforms. But if that strategy fails, it could have an immense impact on the overall Xbox brand.

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While there are no current plans to bring Halo to PS5, we know of at least one major Xbox game that will be making the jump next year. Bethesda’s Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has been confirmed for PlayStation’s console, though a specific date has not been announced. That might not be quite as big a deal as Halo, but it does show that Xbox is looking at its options and where it can profit most.

Do you think we’ll ever see a Halo game released on PlayStation 5? Do you think it would hurt the series if it was no longer exclusive to Xbox and PC? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!