Xbox confirms it’s bringing ‘four games’ to rival platforms

Microsoft has confirmed that four unnamed Xbox exclusives will be released on other console platforms, such as PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch.

According to The Verge sources, corroborated by VGC, these games will be Pentiment, Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves and Grounded.

The news was announced as part of a new podcast designed to give an update on plans for the Xbox business going forward, in which gaming boss Phil Spencer claimed the decision had been made to ensure “the long-term health of Xbox”.

In the podcast, Spencer said that Starfield and Indiana Jones – titles previously reported to be in consideration for PlayStation 5 – would not be going multiplatform. In a separate interview with The Verge, the exec said he wouldn’t rule out the possibility for these titles to arrive on PS5 in the future (“I don’t think we should as an industry ever rule out a game going to any other platform,” he said).

He also claimed the four unnamed releases did not represent “a change to our fundamental exclusivity strategy”, and there was “no promise beyond” those titles coming to rival platforms.

“To ensure long-term success for both Xbox and the industry as a whole, we must continue to evolve,” Xbox said in a statement. “Today we announced that we will expand the communities we reach: we are currently in the process of bringing four Xbox games to other platforms.

“These are titles which have been available to Xbox players for at least a year, including hidden gems that deserve to be experienced more widely, and live service games whose communities will benefit from welcoming even more players. We will share more details on these titles soon.”

It continued: “By bringing these games to more players, we not only expand the reach and impact of those titles, but this will allow us to invest in either future versions of these games, or elsewhere in our first-party portfolio. There is no fundamental change to our approach on exclusivity.”

Decision for ‘the long-term health of Xbox’

Phil Spencer said: “We’re going to take four games to the other consoles – just four games. Not a change to our fundamental exclusivity strategy. We’re making these decisions for some specific reasons. We make every decision really with the long-term health of Xbox in mind, and the long-term health of Xbox means a growing platform, our games performing, building the best platform for creators,  and reaching as many platforms as we can.”

Asked how Microsoft chose the four specific titles, Spencer replied: “We looked at games that are over a year old. So they’ve been on Xbox and PC for a while. A couple of the games are community-driven games, new games, kind of first iterations of a franchise that have reached their full potential, let’s say, on Xbox and PC. There’s always growth, franchises that we obviously want to continue to invest in.”

On the two “service-based games” going multiplatform – likely Sea of Thieves and Grounded – Spencer said that the move would “give us the ability to continue to invest in them. We think that’s great for the business and great for the communities- more players to play with.”

On the two “smaller games” – likely Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment – the exec said: “We see an opportunity to utilize the other platforms as a place to just drive more business value out of those games, allowing us to invest in maybe future iterations of those, so equals to those, or just other games like that in our portfolio.”

He continued: “We think there’s a good brand value for Xbox there. So four games, no promise beyond that. So if you’re on those other platforms and you see these four games coming, please don’t take it as some signal that everything’s coming. It’s not. And we’re going to learn.”

Microsoft still committed to Xbox consoles

In the Xbox podcast, Spencer claimed Xbox’s console exclusivity strategy would not change, but also acknowledged that likely fewer games would be exclusive to one platform in the future across the industry.

“I do have a fundamental belief that over the next 5 or 10 years, exclusive games, games that are exclusive to one piece of hardware, are going to be a smaller and smaller part of the game industry,” he said. “And that’s not some great insight because if you look at the last 10 years and what the biggest games are today, it’s a natural place – whether it’s one console and PC, multiple consoles, or mobile, console and PC – you see big games landing on multiple platforms.”

In an Xbox blog post, Microsoft emphasised that the decision to take the games multiplatform did not represent a change in its commitment to Xbox consoles, which it said would “continue to provide a flagship experience for players” and “the best value and convenience”.

“This is what it means to be part of Xbox,” it wrote. “The biggest games in the world will be on Xbox.  Our games will come to Game Pass day one. A robust and innovative multi-year hardware roadmap. Compatibility with your library is a priority, inclusive of cross-play, cross-save, and robust cloud features. Xbox will continue to help game creators find the biggest audience possible.”

Further reading

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Phil Spencer wants Sony and Nintendo games on Xbox, but says he doesn’t expect it

He says Xbox's multiplatform plans are "not some kind of bartering system"

Asked about Xbox’s commitment to hardware, president Sarah Bond teased its next-generation console plans and claimed it had “some exciting stuff coming out in hardware that we’re going to share this holiday”.

“We’re also invested in the next generation roadmap,” she said. “And what we’re really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation, which makes it better for players and better for creators and the visions that they’re building.”