Xbox fans concerned that console may be shutting down this year

You're either Xbox or PlayStation. It's a rivalry going back decades.

But fans of the Microsoft-made games console are starting to really worry for the future of the platform, with some even thinking it could be shut down for good.

The 'Console War' between the two rivals goes back some 20 years by this point, with the release of the very first PlayStation in 1995 followed by the PS2 in 2000 and Xbox in 2001.

Things heated up quickly, with Sony now facing a genuine competitor in the world of video games.

Microsoft then dropped the Xbox 360 in 2005, a year ahead of Sony's PS3, before the PS4 and Xbox One were both released almost simultaneously in 2013.

We're now on the fourth round in the two decade long bout, with the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S sitting at the top of the gaming market.

What has made the rivalry last so long has been the importance of exclusivity.

Everyone will be able to get their hands on the likes of GTA6 when it is released, but both Sony and Microsoft have always had games that were only available on their consoles.

Halo first catapulted Xbox into the stratosphere as a legitimate competitor to PlayStation. You and your mates had to buy an Xbox to be involved.

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But rumours are that this may now be about to end, with Microsoft indicating it could be ending exclusivity for major games.

Online chatter suggests Xbox games such as Starfield, Gears of War, Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves and the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle might all be available to play on PS5s too.

CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer, tweeted that there will be a 'business update event' in the next week to address the future of Xbox.

Fans were immediately worried, with one tweeting: "Are they shutting down Xbox or something?"

Another said: "What's going on with Xbox? They shutting it down?"

A third chimed in: "So is Xbox dead?"

Well, dead seems a little over the top.

It is definitely more likely that Xbox exclusives are making their way to the PS5, which could include Halo: The Master Chief Collection and multiple Bethesda titles such as the hugely anticipated next instalment in the Elder Scrolls universe.

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Why would Microsoft do this? Basic economics, really.

They're being beaten badly by Sony, with 22.5 million PS5s sold last year compared to 7.6 million for the Xbox Series X/S.

And since the release of both consoles, the sales comparison stands at 48 million to 25 million. Yikes, basically.

Maximising profits by opening up titles to another almost 50 million people is incredibly tempting for Microsoft and its bank balance.

It also comes at a time where Microsoft has made 1,900 staff redundant in its gaming teams, which is incredibly bleak for all involved.

Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images

The risk with such a move means it might negate the reason why people buy an Xbox if there is no exclusivity for huge games.

Brand loyalty only gets you so far as a business.

LADbible has contacted Microsoft for comment.