Xbox Game Studios Head Says ‘Decision Has Not Been Made’ on Outer Worlds 2 PlayStation Release
Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty said Microsoft has yet to make a decision on whether to release The Outer Worlds 2 for PlayStation.
During cross-examination in today’s trial between Microsoft/Activision Blizzard and the Federal Trade Commission, Booty was asked a series of questions about the PlayStation release of Bethesda games after Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax. When FTC lawyers asked about PlayStation versions of already-released games like Deathloop, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and The Order Worlds, Booty said Bethesda had already released these games to PlayStation before the acquisition. It was revealed that he had promised to release it in.
But when asked if Obsidian’s next Outer Worlds 2 will be an Xbox exclusive now that those promises are over, Booty said “no decision has been made” either way. The head of Xbox Game Studios went on to say that Microsoft tends to commit to communities on other platforms that already exist for franchises. That means Xbox could continue the series on Sony’s console since the original Outer Worlds launched on his PlayStation.
It’s worth noting that so far there has been no talk of The Outer Worlds 2 coming to PlayStation. The sequel was first announced at E3 2021, and its reveal was tied to Xbox Series X|S and PC. And Obsidian’s official website also states that the game is in development for these platforms.
Booty’s statement could mean a variety of things, including a timed console exclusive for Xbox, a multi-platform launch date and date, or no PlayStation version at all. It’s very likely that Obsidian isn’t developing a PlayStation version of him, and Booty’s statement just means that Xbox hasn’t ruled it out as a future possibility.
We covered extensively this week the Microsoft FTC lawsuit, with a $68.7 billion acquisition at stake. In the first day so far, it turns out that PlayStation boss Jim Ryan wasn’t worried about Call of Duty becoming his Xbox exclusive, and Xbox has admitted he’s lost the console war. To follow the full trial, see our article on how to watch the trial and coverage so far.
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over 7 years of experience in the games industry and has written byline articles for IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.
