Ever since Microsoft released the first Xbox back in 2001 (with a release in non-USA regions in 2002), the console war has largely been fought between Microsoft and Sony, with Nintendo occasionally providing covering fire, to stretch the analogy.
This generation has arguably seen Microsoft attempting to pivot away from the ongoing battle between the two console giants, though, with the studio increasingly embracing a more fluid approach that doesn’t emphasise hardware.
On February 15th, Microsoft released a new podcast episode in which execs Phil Spencer, Matt Booty, and Sarah Bond discussed the future of the Xbox brand and its business model.
Part of that discussion revolved around Microsoft’s intent to release some of its games on other platforms, a move that had been rumoured prior to the release of the podcast episode.
What does it mean that Xbox games will be coming to other platforms? Which games can we expect to see on PlayStation or Switch (or both), and will other Xbox exclusives, like Starfield or Redfall, come to other platforms? Read on to find out what this could mean for Xbox gamers and non-Microsoft aficionados alike.
Xbox games are coming to other platforms? What?
Yes indeed. In an Xbox Wire news post accompanying the podcast, Xbox confirms that it is “currently in the process of bringing four Xbox games to other platforms”.
These games, according to Xbox, have already been on general release on Xbox consoles (and presumably also PC) for “at least a year”.
The initial lineup of four games will include “hidden gems that deserve to be experienced more widely” and “live service games whose communities will benefit from welcoming even more players”.
Naturally, since Xbox isn’t interested in promoting its rivals, we don’t get to hear which platforms the console giant is talking about.
However, it’s not a stretch to assume that Xbox is referring to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch when it talks about “other platforms”, since these are really the only competing or alternative ecosystems in the market right now.
Which Xbox games are coming to PlayStation and Switch?
Xbox cannily doesn’t mention the games it’s bringing to other platforms, obliquely referring to their genres and standing within the Xbox lineup rather than any names.
However, according to The Verge’s Tom Warren (a regular source on all things related to the games industry), the first two games that will be making an appearance on the platform are two smaller gems that Xbox clearly thinks deserve a wider audience.
The first is Tango Gameworks’ underrated rhythm-character-action game Hi-Fi Rush, an absolutely brilliant explosion of colour and sound that was shadow-dropped as a day one Xbox Game Pass release last year.
According to Warren and The Verge, the second Xbox game coming to other platforms is Obsidian’s overlooked adventure Pentiment, a painterly masterpiece of storytelling that focuses on a single village over a time period of several decades.
Both of these games would fit with Microsoft’s suggestion that it’s bringing games that were overlooked on Xbox to other console ecosystems, since both Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment were arguably criminally underrated on release.
Warren says that Microsoft is also planning on launching piratical live-service adventure Sea of Thieves on other platforms, although again, he doesn’t specify which ones the game is coming to.
Since Microsoft points to four games coming to other platforms, we can speculate that one other live-service title could be on its way to non-Xbox platforms. Which one will it be?
If you’re wondering whether Arkane’s Redfall will come to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, there are arguments for and against this happening.
On the one hand, Redfall is clearly a live-service game whose community may benefit from other platforms joining the fight. On the other hand, Redfall was very poorly-received at launch, and it’s not likely that Xbox will want to use a game that was received with such ambivalence as its brand ambassador on other platforms.
When can we expect to see Xbox games arriving on other platforms?
Xbox hasn’t committed to a time frame regarding when we can expect to see Xbox games arriving on PlayStation and Switch.
However, the company has said that it will share more details on this “soon”, so we may get more information regarding games and their release dates within the next few months.
Tom Warren says that Sea of Thieves will arrive on other platforms “later this year”, but he doesn’t give a timeframe for Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment.
Since E3 was killed for good in late 2023, we can’t expect Microsoft to have a presence at any kind of E3 conference this year. However, it will likely host its very own Xbox showcase in June or thereabouts, and so we’ll probably learn more about its plans for other platforms then, or perhaps beforehand if we’re lucky.
What else did Microsoft announce during this podcast episode?
It’s not all about Xbox coming to other platforms, of course; there were other announcements during the recent Xbox podcast, although they were perhaps slightly overshadowed by the aforementioned bombshell.
First, Diablo IV has been confirmed as the first Activision Blizzard game to come to Game Pass, and it’ll do so on March 28th. The game will be available across both PC and Xbox consoles, and more about Activision Blizzard’s lineup and Game Pass will be shared “soon”.
Additionally, Xbox exec Sarah Bond says Xbox is still committed to creating new hardware, and that the next piece of Xbox tech will be “the largest technical leap you’ve ever seen in a hardware generation”.
Of course, she doesn’t give any kind of indication as to what exactly we can expect from the next generation of Xbox consoles, although last year’s massive Microsoft leak might give some direction in that sense.
Bond does, however, say that Xbox will share more about its hardware plans “this holiday”, so expect to hear more about what Xbox has planned towards the end of the year.
