A recent analysis by Alinea Insight reveals a surprising twist in the gaming world: Forza Horizon 5 has become the top-selling game on the PS5 in 2025. The title, developed by Xbox Game Studios, reached an impressive 3 million units sold on Sony’s platform—overtaking Monster Hunter: World and Astro Bot in the process.
Five years ago, this scenario would’ve seemed impossible. Yet here we are—Microsoft-developed games are now thriving on PlayStation, and breaking down the old walls of exclusivity is proving to be a highly profitable move.
Forza Horizon 5 isn’t the only standout. Alinea also highlighted the strong performance of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, which launched in June. The game has already crossed the 1 million mark in sales, and the momentum keeps building.
It’s worth mentioning that Forza Horizon 5 got a noticeable sales boost thanks to a 25% discount, which helped draw in even more players to the title, originally released back in 2021 for Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles.
Xbox Game Studios Strategy
With the current console generation leaning heavily in favor of competitors, Microsoft has shifted gears. Instead of focusing solely on exclusivity, the company is now bringing many of its once-Xbox-only titles to other platforms—including the PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
While games like Forza Horizon 5 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle made their way to rival consoles after launch, Microsoft is now going a step further: new titles are being released simultaneously across multiple platforms. Upcoming blockbusters like Doom: The Dark Ages, Ninja Gaiden 4, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, Gears of War: Reloaded, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will be available on Xbox, PS5, and PC from day one.
Despite ongoing speculation about Microsoft exiting the console business, there’s no indication that such a move is happening soon. On the contrary—they’ve just unveiled plans for a new Xbox console powered by the next-gen AMD chip. Plus, a new handheld gaming device, developed in collaboration with Asus and branded as the ROG Xbox Ally, is also on the horizon.
