Microsoft’s semi-new strategy of releasing its own games on rival platforms continues today with the debut of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 on PS5. The original Hellblade is also arriving on PS5 today.
The game’s $50 standard and $70 deluxe editions are available now on the PlayStation Store, and the game is PS5 Pro-enhanced. For the $20 extra, players who buy the deluxe edition get the 2017 game, enhanced for PS5, a copy of the sequel, and a digital soundtrack. If you just want the original Hellblade, it’s available for $30 by itself on PS5.
The Hellblade series has a history with PlayStation, as the first game originally launched exclusively on console for the PS4; it didn’t come to Xbox until April 2018. Microsoft bought the company in June 2018, with Hellblade 2 launching in 2024 on Xbox and PC.
“It’s been a long, intense, and deeply personal journey, and bringing this sequel to PlayStation truly feels like coming home,” Melina Juergens, who plays Senua, said in a blog post.
For the newly released “enhanced” edition, players can expect a Performance mode with 60fps, a new “Dark Rot” challenge mode, an updated photo mode, and developer commentary. This new enhanced version of Hellblade 2 is also available on PC and Xbox as a free update. Additionally, Hellblade 2 is now officially Steam Deck verified as of August 12.
Hellblade 2 is just the latest Xbox game to land on a rival system. Microsoft previously brought games like Sea of Thieves, Doom: The Dark Ages, Oblivion Remastered, Forza Horizon 5, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to PS5. The idea is to help Xbox’s games reach a bigger audience and make more money for Xbox, and the plan appears to be working, as Xbox games are dominating the PlayStation sales charts. Next up is Gears of War: Reloaded, which arrives on August 26 across Xbox and PlayStation (as well as PC), followed by The Outer Worlds 2 in October.
Neither Sony nor Nintendo have adopted a similar strategy in terms of bringing their own games to rival systems at the level Microsoft is. Sony is making some moves, however, as it’s launching Helldivers II on Xbox this month.
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