Microsoft
During a “business update” video podcast last week, Microsoft addressed widespread rumors of Xbox software going multiplatform by saying that four of its legacy titles would be going “to the other consoles” in the future. But the company waited until today to confirm the names of the four soon-to-be-multiplatform titles.
The Xbox games coming to other consoles in the coming months are (multiplatform launch date in parentheses):
- Pentiment (Feb. 22, Switch, PS4/5): Obsidian’s historical murder mystery has a sprawling narrative that reacts strongly to player choices.
- Hi-Fi Rush (March 9, Switch, PS5): A rhythm-action game from Bethesda Softworks where you have to match your attacks and movements to the beat to maximize your impact.
- Grounded (April 16, PS4/5): Obsidian’s co-op survival adventure will be fully cross-play compatible across all platforms.
- Sea of Thieves (April 30, PS5): Despite what we considered a poor first impression, Rare’s pirate-themed multiplayer simulation has attracted 35 million players so far, according to Microsoft. This title will also be cross-play compatible across platforms.
Microsoft’s announcement comes just after Grounded and Pentiment were announced for Switch as part of the morning’s Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase video stream, the timing of which likely prevented Microsoft from announcing its plans for those titles last week. There wasn’t a lot of drama to today’s announcement, though; both The Verge and independent journalist Stephen Totilo cited anonymous sources in accurately naming all four games just after Microsoft’s presentation last week.
Prior to that presentation, rumors flying around the Xbox community suggested that major Xbox exclusives like Starfield or Bethesda’s upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle would be coming to other consoles or that Microsoft had plans to leave the console space entirely. And while Microsoft has effectively shot down those rumors, the company has suggested that exclusive games will be a less important part of its console strategy going into the future.
“[I have] a fundamental belief that over the next five or ten years… games that are exclusive to one piece of hardware are going to be a smaller and smaller part of the game industry,” Xbox CEO Phil Spencer said.
