Sony's MLB The Show 25 will be the first in the series to not launch on Xbox Game Pass since 2021.
The game will be available on Xbox Series X/S, as well as PS5 and Nintendo Switch, but only to purchase.
Just as Xbox has announced that one of its much-loved franchises is heading to PlayStation, Sony is removing one from going in the other direction – well, to Xbox Game Pass as a free title, anyway.
Xbox Game Pass subscribers have for the last four years enjoyed annual releases of MLB The Show – the fully licensed baseball game made by Sony itself. However, the latest has just been revealed and it won't be released on Game Pass.
MLB The Show 25 will continue to be available for Xbox Series X/S, as well as PS5 and Nintendo Switch, but fans will have to shell out for it instead.
It'll release on 18 March 2025, with early access for the Digital Deluxe Edition allowing play a little earlier – 14 March. However, it won't be on any "platform subscription service" this year.
That includes PS Plus, so at least PS5 and PS5 Pro owners will be in the same boat.
To be honest, it always seemed a little odd that a Sony game that was previously exclusive to PlayStation consoles not only found its way onto Xbox, but as a day one release on Xbox Game Pass. In the meantime, PlayStation owners had to purchase it outright.
That was reportedly a stipulation set by the Major League Baseball powers that be – it was out of Sony's hands. It seems to no longer be the case, though.
It's not yet known whether MLB The Show 24 will be removed from Xbox Game Pass soon, but make sure you enjoy it for a while, just in case.
As for former Xbox exclusives heading to PS5, the latest is Forza Horizon 5, which has been announced as coming this spring. It'll even feature cross-play online multiplayer, so could reinvigorate the game for Xbox owners too.
