Summary
- Xbox-owned titles are dominating PlayStation Store pre-orders, showcasing Microsoft's shift away from console exclusivity.
- PlayStation users account for a huge percentage of recent spending on Xbox titles, helping to make Microsoft one of the top publishers on Sony's platform.
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Forza Horizon 5, and Doom: The Dark Ages are among the most pre-ordered games on the PlayStation Store.
Several of the most pre-ordered titles on PlayStation's storefront right now come from Xbox-owned studios. Microsoft has increasingly moved away from console exclusivity in recent years, and it seems like that shift is paying off for the company. While PlayStation exclusives are still getting plenty of attention from PS4 and PS5 users, one of Sony's largest competitors is dominating its own digital sales at the moment.
As Xbox has pivoted its focus from hardware to software and services, Sony fans have become a core part of its audience. PlayStation users accounted for 64% of spending on Microsoft titles in December 2024, which, rather ironically, helped push Microsoft to become the world's biggest games publisher for the period. It seems that trend isn't slowing down anytime soon, as Xbox-owned games make up a significant portion of the best-selling pre-orders on the PlayStation Store heading into April.
Former Xbox Console Exclusive Is Now at the Top of the PlayStation Store Chart
A soon-to-be-former Xbox console exclusive rises to the top of multiple PlayStation Store charts in the run-up to its release.
The Bethesda-published Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is currently the number one pre-ordered game on the PlayStation Store. It's the second most pre-ordered title on the list, too, thanks to its Premium Edition being a separate listing. That may not come as a surprise, as Indiana Jones surpassed four million players on Xbox and PC within its first two months, so there was a lot of hype behind its PS5 release. What's perhaps more surprising is that at least six other Xbox-owned games sit in the PlayStation Store's top 24 pre-orders, including a couple more spots in the top five.
Indiana Jones, Forza, and Doom Dominate PlayStation Store Pre-Orders
Forza Horizon 5 accounts for three slots in the PlayStation Store's best-selling pre-orders list, thanks to its three versions. Similarly, Doom: The Dark Ages takes up two more spots, and the recently announced Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 makes an appearance, too. That isn't to say that Sony exclusives are lagging behind, though. The Deluxe Edition of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach falls right behind Indiana Jones as the third most pre-ordered PlayStation game. The Standard Edition also appears on the list, which makes sense in light of how Death Stranding 2 is one of the most anticipated games of 2025, alongside several entries from Xbox-owned studios.
Mere days after its announcement, Days Gone Remastered entered the top 10 PlayStation pre-orders, and it still holds its spot on the PS Store. However, Microsoft titles outperform these Sony-owned games even more on the UK PlayStation Store charts, where both Forza and Indiana Jones are currently outselling Death Stranding and Days Gone. Xbox titles seem less popular among PlayStation users in Japan, although Indiana Jones and Forza still make the cut there. It will be interesting to see how these numbers play out over time, but for now, it's a good time for Xbox to be on the PS Store.