Microsoft has confirmed multiplatform release plans for four first-party titles.
13.02.2024 - 03:03 / videogameschronicle.com / Phil Spencer / Sarah Bond / Matt Booty / Tom Ivan / Xbox Will / Will
New details about Xbox’s plans to bring more first-party games to rival console platforms have seemingly emerged.
Sources said to be familiar with the company’s plans told The Verge that Microsoft is preparing to release a select number of Xbox games for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.
The first games it reportedly plans to bring to rival platforms are Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment, which were originally released for Xbox consoles and PC in February 2023 and November 2022 respectively.
Microsoft is also currently planning to release Sea of Thieves on non-Xbox systems this year, with other first-party games said to be under consideration, it’s claimed.
It has previously been reported that Starfield, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and the Gears of War franchise could be coming to PlayStation, in addition to previously rumoured Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves ports for Sony’s console and Switch.
With speculation about a new strategy for the Xbox business mounting, Microsoft’s head of gaming released a statement last Monday telling fans that more would become clear this week.
And on Monday, Microsoft announced plans to deliver an Xbox business update on February 15, when it looks set to address speculation that it plans to bring more games to rival platforms.
Gaming boss Phil Spencer, Xbox president Sarah Bond, and Xbox president of game content and studios Matt Booty will discuss the future of Xbox on a podcast this Thursday from 12pm PT / 3pm RT / 8pm GMT.
Microsoft has confirmed multiplatform release plans for four first-party titles.
During Wednesday’s Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase, we learned about two of the Xbox Game Studios titles that are going multiplatform. The games in question are Obsidian Entertainment’s Grounded and Pentiment, and the latter will launch tomorrow on Nintendo Switch.
Pentiment and Grounded have both been confirmed for a Nintendo Switch launch.
Microsoft will bring four first-party titles to PS5, but it’s refusing to name which. Said titles will not include Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which will remain exclusive to Xbox and PC, until circumstances change. Xbox bigwig Phil Spencer, however, has seen the success of Helldivers 2 – and is struggling to see the advantage of the PlayStation-published shooter not being available on Xbox.
More great games are coming to the PS5, and that’s never a bad thing. Microsoft announced during a highly massaged corporate message that it’ll bring four first-party titles to rival systems, although it wouldn’t name any names. Fortunately, the rumours have been so strong that we can surmise they’ll be rhythm brawler Hi-Fi Rush, historical adventure Pentiment, nautical outing Sea of Thieves, and survival game Grounded. These fit Xbox boss Phil Spencer’s description of two smaller titles and two live service experiences.
Xbox has reportedly weighed up the idea of releasing Microsoft Flight Simulator and the next Doom game for rival consoles.
A reliable Xbox insider has claimed that Gears of War, Flight Simulator, and the next Doom game to other platforms, although it seemingly hasn't made a decision about them just yet.
Four Microsoft first-party games will launch on Sony's PlayStation 5 and the Nintendo Switch, the company confirmed late Thursday after weeks of speculation over its exclusive titles releasing on rival platforms. The announcement came on the Official Xbox Podcast from Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, who also shed further light on the reasons behind Xbox's business decision and confirmed that the next generation of Xbox consoles were in development. Microsoft has not yet revealed the four Xbox exclusives coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch, but The Verge reported that said games would be Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves and Grounded.
If it weren’t enough that Microsoft detailed its plans for bringing first-party titles to other platforms (which doesn’t include Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle), it also discussed its next-gen hardware. Xbox president Sarah Bond promised the “largest technical leap” in a hardware generation.
Xbox's Phil Spencer has confirmed that two major Bethesda titles, Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, will not be going multiplatform. The announcement comes after recent rumors that the Xbox titles would be released on competing consoles.
Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty have hosted the latest official Xbox Podcast which was trailered to announce an “Xbox Business Update”. This follows days of speculation that many Xbox exclusive games might be going multi platform, such as Sea of Thieves, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Starfield. There were even suggestions that Xbox legends such as Halo could be heading to PlayStation!
There was quite a bit of uncertainty for the Xbox brand last week. I’m sure you saw the nonstop flood of rumors suggesting that Xbox would see many exclusives leave the brand for other platforms. That also left concerns that we might see Microsoft’s gaming division imploding. We even had rumors that Activision Blizzard games might not even be coming to Xbox Game Pass. But that is not the case as Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty clears the air.