Following mounting reports Xbox is preparing for some kind of multiplatform future, Microsoft has confirmed it'll be bringing four previously Xbox-exclusive first-party titles to PlayStation 5 and Switch later this year, with more likely to come in the future.
Reports that Microsoft was preparing to release a number of first-party games on competing consoles – namely Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi Rush – first surfaced at the start of this year, but it wasn't until last week's claims high-profile exclusives such as Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle would also be going multiplatform that Microsoft broke its silence, promising to reveal more in a podcast this week.
And now, with the podcast finally here, Xbox gaming boss Phil Spencer has confirmed the company has “made the decision that we're going to take four games to the other consoles.” Bafflingly, however, Spencer does not name the games directly, only saying two are community-driven titles and two are smaller games.
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Instead, additional clarity comes from The Vergewhich, citing “sources familiar with Microsoft's plans,” says Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment will be the first two titles heading to PlayStation 5 and Switch, with Sea of Thieves and Grounded to follow.
Speaking to The Verge ahead of tonight's podcast, Spencer insisted Microsoft is “focused on these four games and learning from the experience,” saying it doesn't “have work going on, on other franchises.” And while Starfield and Indiana Jones are not part of Microsoft's initial multiplatform plans, Spencer doesn't rule out the possibility they'll eventually make their way to PS5. “I don't think we should as an industry ever rule out a game going to any other platform,” he explained.
Spencer also confirmed more first-party Xbox games are likely to go multiplatform, particularly if its initial four releases prove successful. “We want to see what happens,” he explained, “because going and doing the development work to bring them to new platforms is real work. We want to make sure that the return makes sense. We want to make sure the audience that's there “Have an appetite, maybe they don't.”
The Verge says it understands Gears of War, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and the next Doom have all been considered for a multiplatform release.
As to why Microsoft is starting to experiment with a multiplatform approach for its first-party games, Spencer said, “We make every decision with the long-term health of Xbox in mind, which means a growing platform, our games performing, building the best platform for creators, reaching as many players as we can. We're always looking to learn as a leadership team and to grow, and we think this is an interesting point in time for us to use what some of the other platforms have right now to help grow our franchises.”
It is, then, an interesting time for Microsoft – and it'll be fascinating to see how its multiplatform plans evolve from here.
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