remaster Gears' arrival on PlayStation, ending its long-standing console exclusivity with Xbox. In a strange turn, the Xbox property may only get physical releases on PS5 and PC.

According to a retail listing from GAME España, physical editions of Gears of War: Reloaded appear to only be available for PlayStation 5 and PC. This was confirmed to not be an oversight by GAME España's Twitter , which responded to a question about the game only being available on PlayStation with clarification that the retailer currently only has pre-orders for PS5 and PC in the works.

Xbox not receiving a physical release for Gears of War: Reloaded would certainly be odd, and a PC physical edition is also strange in itself – PC has largely been digital only for years at this point. It's important to note that retailers may be working with limited information at this time, and Xbox receiving no physical edition seems to be a more common occurrence outside the United States, given the console's lack of popularity overseas.

Gears Of War: Reloaded May Not Have Physical Copies For Xbox Outside The U.S.

U.S. Retail Listings Aren't Up Yet

The most likely explanation for the lack of an Xbox physical release is that this only applies to certain regions outside the United States, such as Spain, where GAME España operates. Most major retailers in the U.S., including Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and GameStop, are all currently devoid of listings for Gears of War: Reloaded. There's plenty of time ahead of Reloaded's August 26 release for more information to become available.

Gears of War: Reloaded is developed in part by The Coalition (in partnership with Sumo Digital and Disbelief), which is owned by Microsoft under the Xbox Game Studios umbrella. It would be exceedingly odd for Xbox to exclude its first-party customers from the opportunity to purchase Reloaded physically, even if a significant chunk of the base is on Series S, which lacks a disc drive.

Our Take: Gears Of War: Reloaded Will Likely Have Physical Copies Available In The United States

Xbox Hasn't Abandoned Its Hardware Entirely

Digital games may be taking over, but it wouldn't make a lot of sense for Xbox to only release physical copies of Gears of War: Reloaded for PS5 and PC. Despite Xbox's recent move away from game exclusivity, the company has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to continuing its hardware lines, and physical games are likely part of that. Xbox handheld recently leaked online.

Xbox's strategy for a long time has been giving players the freedom to use its platforms wherever is most convenient, and eliminating physical copies of a first-party property like Gears of War would be antithetical to that ethos. The missing Xbox retail listing is likely just a quirk of overseas stock management. Gears of War: Reloaded will arrive in a few months, and if you're hoping to grab a physical copy for Xbox Series X/S, you're better off waiting for more information.

Sources: GAME España, GAME España/Twitter