Xbox Gamers May Want to Buy a PS5 to Play Phantom Blade Zero

Phantom Blade Zero is one of the PlayStation 5’s best-looking exclusives, and one Xbox users will be desperate to play.

Following a couple of preview sessions Phantom Blade Zero is one of my most anticipated games and I’m happy to see it finally has a release date.

While the debut trailer piqued my interest it was the hands-on that solidified it as the game for me through its gorgeously stylised visuals and gripping action gameplay.

When it launches on 9 September 2026 it’ll be a PlayStation 5 exclusive but with so many PlayStation games coming to PC and Xbox many are wondering when it’ll find itself a new home on Microsoft’s platforms.

Unfortunately the answer isn’t one Xbox fans will want to hear, as from the sound of things you’re going to be waiting a long time.

S-Game

Rumour has it that Phantom Blade Zero will be a 12-month timed exclusive for PlayStation, meaning Xbox gamers will be looking at late 2027 to get their hands on the game.

If you already own a PlayStation 5 that’s nothing to worry about but if you’ve been loyally rocking the latest Xbox hardware for the past few years now might be the time to switch sides, even if temporarily.

Personally I’m really not a fan of timed-exclusives, but in the modern era of gaming there’s simply no getting around them.

Xbox vs PlayStation, Forever and Always

Despite claims that the console wars are over I think we all know they’re not, and while PlayStation is the obvious winner for 2025 it sounds like things are going to get competitive in 2026.

Xbox finally has some first-party games to give a damn about, many of which will likely be shown off during the Xbox Developer Direct in January.

However will it make a difference in the argument of Xbox or PlayStation? Probably not as PlayStation still comes out as the obvious winner.

Phantom Blade Zero might be a timed-exclusive but there are plenty of other games that won’t be leaving their home at PlayStation anytime soon, like God of War or The Last of Us for example.

Xbox on the other hand has been sending more and more of its exclusives to PlayStation, with even Halo: Campaign Evolved launching day one on Sony’s platform. That would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

What I’m saying is if Phantom Blade Zero looks too good for you to ignore as an Xbox fan, it’s just one more reason to get yourself a PlayStation 5 if you don’t have one already.