Xbox confirms the console war is over, but could still be the ultimate winner

Ever since the first Xbox console arrived in 2001, Microsoft and Sony have gone head-to-head. And while Nintendo happily plodded away doing its own thing, subsequent Xbox and PlayStation machines have fiercely competed to be the number one choice in the home.

The last two generations have barely been close, however. Although the Xbox 360 outperformed the PS3 in the mid 2010s, Sony not only clawed its way back with its next two generations, sales of the PS4 and now PS5 have greatly exceeded Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

It has lead to Xbox boss Phil Spencer finally admitting defeat – of sorts. He has given up on trying to convert PlayStation fans and has effectively conceded the decades-long console war.

Speaking to XboxEra (via VGC), he confirmed that the company's new strategy is to support all formats now and in future: "I’m not trying to move them all over to Xbox anymore. People were all so invested in where our games are – let’s just allow more people to play," he said.

That doesn't mean we'll never see another Xbox console – rumours of a Steam Deck-like handheld continue, for example – but you are unlikely to see any more game exclusives from the brand.

It's a strategy that could technically allow Microsoft to come out of the console war as a winner, too. After all, it stands to make a considerably amount of money from PlayStation console owners that it never has before: "The 70% that we make on games on other platforms is helpful to us being able to build great portfolios like we showed at the Dev Direct, and I hope this will continue to show through the rest of the year," Spencer added.

Although its exact release date is yet to be revealed, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle should soon be available for the PS5, while current Xbox exclusive Forza Horizon 5 is also expected before the summer. The latter will even feature cross-platform play, which will benefit Xbox owners too.

Spencer has also previously committed to releasing new games on the Nintendo Switch 2, as well. And that effectively means that, no matter which platform you prefer, it's actually you that's likely to be the biggest winner at the end of the console war, after all.