Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty says Microsoft hasn’t made a decision on a PlayStation release for The Outer Worlds 2.
During his cross examination for today’s trial between Microsoft/Activision Blizzard and the Federal Trade Commission, Booty was asked a series of questions about PlayStation releases for Bethesda games following Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax. An FTC lawyer asked about the already-released PlayStation versions of games like Deathloop, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and The Outer Worlds, as Booty clarified that Bethesda already had commitments to release those games on PlayStation prior to the acquisition.
But when asked if Obsidian’s upcoming Outer Worlds 2 would be an Xbox exclusive now that those commitments are over, Booty said a “decision has not been made” one way or the other. The Xbox Game Studios head went on to say that Microsoft tends to commit to communities on other platforms that already exist for franchises. Meaning, since the original The Outer Worlds launched on PlayStation, it’s possible Xbox may keep that franchise around on Sony’s console.
It’s worth noting that there’s been no word of a PlayStation release for The Outer Worlds 2 to this point. The sequel was first announced at E3 2021, and the reveal was tied to Xbox Series X|S and PC. And, Obsidian’s official website also says the game is in development for those platforms.
Booty’s statement could mean a lot of different things, like timed console exclusivity for Xbox, a multiplatform release day and date, or no PlayStation version at all. It’s very likely Obsidian isn’t working on a PlayStation version, and Booty’s statement just means Xbox hasn’t ruled it out as a possibility for the future.
We have extensive coverage of this week’s Microsoft FTC trial, where the $68.7 billion acquisition hangs in the balance. On day one so far, we’ve learned that PlayStation boss Jim Ryan wasn’t worried about Call of Duty becoming Xbox exclusive, and that Xbox admitted that it lost the console wars. To follow all of the proceedings, check out our article on how to watch the trial and our coverage so far.
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over seven years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.
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