Gears of War: Reloaded comes to PS5, breaks Xbox exclusivity

Gears of War

Gears of War: Reloaded — a full remaster of the 2006 classic — is headed to PlayStation 5 on August 26, marking another major Xbox franchise leaping the console divide.

The title will also launch on Xbox Series X/S, PC (via Steam and the Xbox app), and Game Pass Ultimate, but notably skips Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2. This isn’t the first Xbox-first game to make the cross-platform jump: Forza Horizon 5 recently drifted onto PS5, and the industry continues to watch for whether Halo may eventually follow suit.

Priced at $40, Reloaded will include all original DLC content—campaign extras, multiplayer add-ons, and character unlocks—at no additional cost. Players who previously purchased Gears of War: Ultimate Edition digitally will receive a free upgrade. Game Pass subscribers can stream the game via Xbox Cloud Gaming on day one.

The remaster was co-developed by The Coalition, Sumo Interactive, and Disbelief, and offers modern technical flourishes: 4K HDR visuals, 60 fps campaign performance, 120 fps in multiplayer, Dolby Vision and Atmos support, and even a promise of “zero loading screens” throughout the campaign.

Cross-play is fully supported across all platforms, with up to eight players in versus multiplayer. Players can enable cross-progression by signing in with a Microsoft account, allowing seamless continuity between console, PC, and cloud gaming.

This isn’t the end of the line for the franchise, either. At the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, Gears of War: E-Day was announced—an all-new entry in the series being co-developed with People Can Fly. No release window has been given.

Microsoft’s strategy is clear: broaden the reach of its flagship titles while deepening its services. With Gears now breaking cover on PS5, the console walls are looking thinner than ever.