Highlights
- More Xbox first-party titles will be ported to rival platforms in the future, expanding the player base.
- Games like Sea of Thieves and Grounded already made the jump and showed that the idea is a good one.
- Microsoft Gaming CEO, Phil Spencer, confirmed there will be more multiplatform releases.
Microsoft Gaming chief Phil Spencer has confirmed that the company will be porting more Xbox first-party titles to other platforms in the future. Xbox first announced its seismic deviation from console exclusivity earlier this year, when it revealed that four first-party titles from its back catalog would head to rival platforms, PlayStation and Nintendo. At the time, Spencer clarified that this initial batch of multiplatform titles wasn’t a sign that the “floodgates” were opening, but it appears Microsoft isn’t done porting.
Xbox’s first group of multiplatform titles consisted of smaller games, namely Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves. Although the change in its exclusivity strategy was sudden, the general notion was that these games had exhausted their sales potential on Xbox and PC, and so it made sense for them to find a new player base on competitor platforms. However, rumors surrounding more multiplatform Xbox ports have accelerated recently, and now, the head honcho has spoken.
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Speaking with IGN after the recent Xbox Games Showcase, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer elaborated on the company’s plans for both Xbox customers and players on other platforms. Spencer stated that the company is “committed” to offering its users the “opportunity to buy or subscribe” to its first-party titles, alluding to Xbox’s continued confidence in Game Pass. Spencer then remarked that Xbox will also support its games on “other screens,” before confirming that players are “going to see more of our games on more platforms.”
Spencer Believes Going Multiplatform Is Beneficial for Xbox Franchises
The CEO sees the multiplatform strategy as a “benefit” to Xbox’s first-party franchises, acknowledging that “players love to be able to play.” This comment potentially hints to promising sales data for the first four multiplatform titles, which isn’t surprising considering Sea of Thieves‘ substantial popularity on PS5. Microsoft may be looking to capitalize on the userbases of its rival platforms further, and Spencer’s confirmation means PlayStation and Nintendo users can look forward to more Xbox titles in the future.
The only remaining question is when Microsoft will announce the next batch of multiplatform first-party ports. The latest Xbox Games Showcase revealed that id Software’s highly anticipated Doom: The Dark Ages will launch day one on PS5, but beyond that, there’s no telling which back-catalog first-party titles Microsoft will bring to rival platforms next. Rumors of a Halo: Combat Evolved remaster being considered for PS5 have surfaced recently, but nothing concrete about its launch platforms has been decided yet.
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Xbox Series X
- Brand
- Microsoft
- Original Release Date
- November 10, 2020
- Original MSRP (USD)
- $499
- Weight
- 9.8 LBS