Imagine this: you fire up your PS5, open the PlayStation Store, and right there, between Spider-Man and The Last of Us, you see Xbox Game Pass.
No, this isn’t a multiverse glitch.
This move could end the console wars for good and send shockwaves through the gaming industry.
And the crazy part? It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds.
Xbox Game Pass – Microsoft’s Greatest Strength… and Weakness?
Let’s be honest: Xbox Game Pass is the best thing Microsoft has going for it right now. It’s Netflix for games, but better. Day-one first-party releases, a growing library, and access across console, PC, and cloud are dream services.
But here's the catch: the Xbox hardware isn’t selling like hotcakes. The Series X|S is lagging behind the PS5 globally, and while Game Pass is growing, it’s doing the heavy lifting for the whole brand. Xbox has become a software-first ecosystem, and that’s exactly where Sony could strike.
One App to End Them All
If PlayStation ever said, “You know what? Let’s allow Game Pass on PS5,” it wouldn’t be an act of charity. It would be a strategic kill shot.
Game Pass on PlayStation would turn the PS5 into the ultimate gaming device, with Sony exclusives and access to Microsoft’s massive game catalog. Why buy an Xbox ever again?
Microsoft would be forced to do what it seems to already be leaning toward: go full software and focus on services, publishing, and cloud infrastructure. It’s the same move they made with Windows and Office decades ago. They don’t need to "win" the hardware game if they can be on everything.
Microsoft Goes Handheld?
But Microsoft wouldn’t just disappear, far from it.
If Xbox home consoles become irrelevant, handhelds are one battlefield they haven’t dominated yet. Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and even the Nintendo Switch have carved out a space that Microsoft hasn’t touched directly—yet.
Forget the Xbox-branded ROG Ally 2, picture this: a dedicated Xbox Game Pass handheld optimized for cloud and local play and tied into xCloud and its ecosystem. Portable Halo, Starfield, and Call of Duty? That could be a game changer.
This might already be on their radar. With the ROG Ally 2 being Xbox-aligned, this may be a test for going all in on a full Xbox handheld in the next generation.
The Power Is In Sony’s Hands
For decades, we’ve seen Sony and Microsoft dance around exclusives, hardware specs, and services. But this move would be different. If Sony welcomes Game Pass onto its turf, it doesn’t just “beat” Xbox; it absorbs it.
It’s the Thanos snap of gaming—half the competition—gone.
But the real question is: would Sony do it? Or are they too proud to play with fire?
Make no mistake—Game Pass is fire. And if Sony lets it burn on PlayStation, Xbox, as we know it, might not survive.