Microsoft will no longer be selling Xbox consoles in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, according to the latest rumor.
According to Twitter/X user and founding partner of true-gaming, MAlbsimi, Microsoft has officially informed major stores in Saudi Arabia that it will no longer sell Xbox consoles in the country. Based on what he heard from his sources, even distributors won’t be able to receive console shipments.
The Twitter/X user also mentioned that he reached out to Microsoft for a statement about the matter a few weeks ago, but the company’s representative for the MENA region refused to offer an explanation. In his view, if his information had been incorrect, the Xbox representative would have firmly denied it.
If the information is indeed correct, the decision to back out of markets in the Middle East is likely due to poor sales of Xbox hardware in the region. PlayStation has a strong footing in countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and Microsoft hasn’t been able to capture much of the local market share. Part of the reason behind this may be that the software giant is now bringing some of its first-party titles over to PlayStation consoles, making its own Xbox consoles a tough sell. Bethesda Game Studios and MachineGames’ Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was recently announced for PS5. Furthermore, known insider eXtas1stv had previously revealed that they know of three other Xbox exclusives that will go multiplatform in the near future. As per them, it’s more a matter of “when” than “if”.
Twitter/X user eXtas1stv had also claimed that Xbox is looking to bring Forza Horizon 5 to Sony’s current-gen console in the not too distant future. They said that they were confident the game would arrive on PS5 in the months to come. They also pointed out that other sources had corroborated their information.
