Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has commented on bringing more Xbox games to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, saying he’s not ruling anything out, and that includes the next Halo release.
Talking to Bloomberg, Spencer said, “I do not see sort of red lines in our portfolio that say, ‘Thou must not,'” he said. For the next Halo game specifically, Bloomberg reported that Spencer said it was too early to make a decision about that.
In September, Microsoft announced that it was working on multiple new Halo games that are being made in Unreal Engine 5. None of the games have been officially announced, however. That being said, elements from the Project Foundry demo are likely to show up in future Halo titles, Microsoft has said.
Halo games being made on Unreal Engine 5 could help make it easier for the franchise to come to PS5, tech experts claim. Halo on PS5 wouldn’t be a total surprise, as it was previously reported that Microsoft was considering bringing the sci-fi series to Sony’s home console.
So far, Microsoft has released a few of its games on rival platforms, including Sea of Thieves and Grounded. One of the next big ones is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which launches in December on Xbox and PC before coming to PS5 in early 2025.
Also in the Bloomberg interview, Spencer said he expects Microsoft will eventually release a handheld gaming device; the company is now making prototypes, the report said. “I love us building devices,” Spencer said. “And I think our team could do some real innovative work, but we want to be informed by learning and what’s happening now.”
Microsoft has been openly discussing plans for a handheld gaming device for a long time already, and the latest rumor was that the next Xbox home console could also link up with a new Xbox handheld device.
Spencer also discussed the possibility of more acquisitions, following Microsoft’s blockbuster deal to buy Activision Blizzard. He said it might be worth pursuing deals that add “geographic diversity” to the company, including in Asia. There are no “imminent” deals coming, however.
Microsoft already owned a prominent Japanese game developer, Tango Gameworks, but shut the studio down–it later re-emerged under the ownership of PUBG company Krafton.
In the past year, Spencer has overseen more than 2,500 layoffs at Xbox, and he said in the Bloomberg interview that “the Xbox business has never been more healthy.” Spencer had always said the layoffs were necessary because capitalism demanded it.
He ended his chat with Bloomberg by seemingly reacting to Sony’s recent launch of the $700 PS5 Pro (which costs more than $1,000 in some regions like Australia), saying expensive consoles are not going to help grow the video game industry.
“I feel pretty good about where this industry is going,” he said. “To reach new players, we need to be creative and adaptive of new business models, new devices, new ways of access. We’re not going to grow the market with $1,000 consoles.”