“You are going to see more of our games on more platforms”: Xbox chief Phil Spencer says Microsoft will continue making first-party titles multiplatform
More first-party Xbox games will head to rival platforms in the future.
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What you need to know
Earlier this year,Microsoft brought four Xbox games to other platformslike Sony’s PS5 and Nintendo’s Switch, with Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencerexplainingthat the release of Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush on other systems was seen as a way to bring them to more players after they’d largely stopped selling on Xbox and PC, while the arrival of Sea of Thieves and Grounded would help to grow the fanbase of these live service, community-oriented titles. Now, in the aftermath of Microsoft’sXbox Games Showcase 2024, Spencer has revealed that the firm will continue to make other first-party games multiplatform.
“Our commitment to our Xbox customers is you’re going to get the opportunity to buy or subscribe to the game, and we’re going to support the game on other screens,” said Spencer inan interview that appeared on The Verge. “You are going to see more of our games on more platforms, and we just see that as a benefit to the franchises that we’re building, and we see that from players, and the players love to be able to play.”
While this news may come as a surprise to Xbox fans, the announcement is in-line with what Spencer and other Xbox executives discussed back during aFebruary podcast. In that Q&A, it was said that Microsoft will continue to look for additional opportunities to bring its first-party games to rival platforms in cases where it makes sense to do so, while continuing to bring Xbox fans high-profile exclusives, exclusive access to its all-you-can-playXbox Game Passservice, and day one Game Pass availability for all first-party titles.
Microsoft commits to its new strategy
It’s unclear what these additional games headed beyond the realm of Xbox and PC might be, as there’s nothing concrete known just yet. While Microsoft has been seemingly avoiding the use of “exclusive” language in reveals and trailers for upcoming titles likeIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, that’s not necessarily indicative of the company’s intent to bring them to PS5 or Switch.
With that said, I wouldn’t be surprised if — based on the aforementioned comments from Xbox leadership — we start to see some of these games eventually head to other platforms after they stop growing on Xbox and PC,orif Microsoft sees a chance to grow them substantially elsewhere. This is precisely what happened withHi-Fi RushandSea of Thieves, and all signs from Microsoft point to this being the plan moving forward.
Analysis: Gamers win, but will Xbox?
Microsoft is threading the needle for this new Xbox strategy, making careful decisions about which games to bring to rival platforms and which ones to keep exclusive to its consoles and the PC market, while simultaneously leveraging Xbox and PC Game Pass to make Xbox the best place to play its first-party titles from a value perspective. On paper, the Xbox Series X is also the best system to play games on from a technical one, though in practice, PS5 performance often matches or even slightly surpasses it.
As my colleague Jez Corden wroteafter Xbox’s impressive showcase concluded, it’s unclear whether Microsoft’s approach will pay off in the long run. While I can imagine a world in which it profits greatly from measured multiplatform ventures while continuing to grow the value and quality of the core Xbox ecosystem, there’s also a world in which multiplatform releaseserodeit. Why buy an Xbox if you know that game you’re interested in will come to PlayStation in a year or two?
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Undoubtedly, Microsoft has a challenging future to navigate with this evolving strategy — and the only way to know if it’s a winning hand is to wait and see what happens. One thing is clear: interesting times are ahead.
Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he’s been an avid fan since childhood. He’s been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you’ll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he’s not writing or gaming, there’s a good chance he’s either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once.Follow him on X(Twitter).
