It is no small secret that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is proving to be one of the most popular games of the year. It's doing tremendously well in of sales and critical reception, which is a refreshing return to form for the franchise. After 2023's MW3 controversy, it's great to see ion poured back into Call of Duty again and see it back on track.

However, it's not all perfect, as while Black Ops 6 is doing better than MW3 in of player count, its sales are actually down. It's also selling far better on PlayStation than it is on Xbox. Of course, COD as a franchise is still as strong as ever, even despite Black Ops 6's issues, but the decrease in sales is worrying for other Xbox titles, especially the single-player exclusives.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Is Selling Better On PS5 Than Xbox

75% Of Full-Priced Sales Were On PS5

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is selling significantly better on PlayStation than it is on Xbox and PC. 75% of Black Ops 6's full-price sales were on PlayStation 4 and 5, with just 15% being on PC and under 11% on Xbox, according to gamesindustry.biz. This isn't particularly surprising, considering that COD has typically sold best on PlayStation. In fact, sales were up 24% on PlayStation year-on-year compared to Modern Warfare 3, meaning that, despite the Activision Blizzard buyout, it's still selling incredibly well on Sony's hardware.

Xbox, on the other hand, is a different story. In of full-price sales, Black Ops 6 sold 11% less in full-price sales than MW3 did, largely thanks to the game's inclusion on Game . In fact, it seems like being on Game has hurt the overall sales numbers on Xbox, considering it's substantially lower than any other platform. This isn't particularly surprising, as players could try it for free on day one. Of course, it's worth noting that Black Ops 6 is more popular than the previous two COD games, suring them in of player count.

Microsoft increased the cost of Xbox Game prior to the launch of Black Ops 6. While it hasn't been officially stated that this is the reason, it's not hard to imagine that it was to for Black Ops 6 performing better on Game , where it is free, rather than in full-price sales on Xbox.

So, it's clear that, despite full-price sales slipping, Black Ops 6 is doing well. This is largely helped by the fact that it has one of the fierce competition in November, which also likely contributed to its decline in sales, although nothing substantial enough that it was dethroned in the charts.

Regardless, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will continue to make money, even if players are trying it for free via Game . It's a live service title, which means that it'll generate revenue for a long time through microtransactions. Black Ops 6's Seasons will add new content to the game all the time, ensuring that fans have a steady stream of skins to pay for. However, not all of Xbox's games have that kind of longevity or revenue, so lower full-price sales isn't really an option. One such title is the single-player narrative-focused Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

It Was The Right Call To Put Indiana Jones And The Great Circle On PS5

It Will Likely Sell Better There

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was initially announced as an Xbox console exclusive and that it would skip PlayStation completely. As it is being developed by MachineGames, a subsidiary of ZeniMax - which was bought by Microsoft in 2021 - it would have made perfect sense for it to remain an Xbox exclusive. However, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was announced for PS5 during Gamescom Opening Night Live, with a release date of Spring 2025, just shortly after the Xbox and PC versions launch in December 2024.

Naturally, PlayStation fans were overjoyed by this announcement, especially considering the developer's pedigree and the fact that it's a well-known and beloved IP. However, this did mean that one of the few genuine Xbox exclusives was no longer going to be exclusive, taking away yet another of the few reasons to buy an Xbox over a PlayStation 5. This is especially difficult to stomach as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is getting extremely positive previews that praise its cinematic gameplay and intuitive mechanics.

However, while it may not be great for those on Xbox, it is the smartest move from a purely financial point of view. Of course, Call of Duty has traditionally sold best on PlayStation, but the sales numbers for Black Ops 6 paint a fairly underwhelming picture for purely Xbox exclusives. It is clear that, at least on consoles, players are predominantly on PlayStation. This is further evidenced by the fact that the PlayStation is outselling Xbox and by Phil Spencer's constant remarks on what may come to PS5.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle could struggle financially if it remained exclusively on Xbox, even despite the announced DLC.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle could struggle financially if it remained exclusively on Xbox, even despite the announced DLC. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 can likely afford to take a dip in full-price sales as it will make it up in microtransaction sales. However, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle does not have that same luxury, and thus coming to PlayStation 5, even if it's at a later date, will ensure its sales are bolstered significantly. That is why it's no surprise that plenty of other Xbox exclusives are being considered for PlayStation.

Future Xbox Exclusives Are Likely To Come To PS5

There's No Red Line According To Phil Spencer

In an interview with Bloomberg, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer reiterated once again that there is no "red line" when it comes to games that could be ported to PlayStation. While fans once felt reassured that at least the likes of Halo, Forza, and Gears of War would remain exclusive to Xbox, Spencer has made it clear that he "do[es] not see [a] sort of red line in our portfolio that say[s] ‘thou must not'."

This interview came just a few days before the release of the "This Is an Xbox" promotional video, which showcased how everything from an Xbox Series X to a mobile phone can be used as an Xbox. The promotional video doesn't really sell anything beyond the fact that multiple devices can play Xbox games, a strategy Microsoft has been pushing for quite some time. Microsoft's messaging is clear: Xbox is no longer tied to just a single platform, like its competitors.

Instead, it feels like Xbox is shifting to become exclusively a publisher, purchasing a number of high-profile first-party developers and then generating income from porting their games to as many platforms as possible. That's not an inherently bad strategy, especially considering the staggering difference in console sales between PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, it's just different. However, it does feel like there could be many more Xbox exclusives coming to PS5, including even Halo. Many suspected that its switch to UE5 was evidence of this, and it's possible that Spencer's words were further hinting at it.

Whether Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's dwindling Xbox full-price sales had any impact on Spencer's words or not, it does feel like the industry is experiencing a major shift. The traditional model no longer seems to be the norm, and Microsoft is clearly adapting. However, this should be seen as a positive change, as sharing games between all platforms benefits everyone. There's something refreshing about the end of the console wars, and people on both Xbox and PlayStation getting to enjoy huge triple-A titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Source: gamesindustry.biz, PlayStation/YouTube, Xbox/YouTube, Bloomberg