Microsoft is starting off with four Xbox-exclusive games that will be available on PS5 and Switch in the near future. Additionally, Diablo IV will mark the first Activision Blizzard title to join Game Pass.
- "We've made the decision that we’re going to take four games to the other consoles," Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer announced
While Microsoft has not disclosed the specific titles, The Verge's sources claims that the titles are Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment, followed by Sea of Thieves and Grounded.
More titles could follow later, with Microsoft reportedly considering titles such as Indiana Jones, Gears of War, Flight Simulator, and the next installment of Doom.
Why the change of heart?
Why is Microsoft bringing Xbox exclusives to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch when their exclusives are not available on Xbox consoles?
Microsoft has previously outlined plans to transform Xbox from a console into a gaming platform accessible on any device with a screen. Specifically concerning PS5 and Switch, the company argued that it is "to ensure long-term success for both Xbox and the industry as a whole".
Ori and the Will of the Wisps was previously ported to Nintendo Switch (ARM) and was "an intense effort". Photo: Moon Studios
What is interesting here is that while Sony PlayStation 5 is built on x86 architecture, like Xbox, Nintendo Switch operates on ARM architecture. As a result, Xbox games need to be ported to ARM architecture to run natively on Switch. In theory, this would also make them compatible with other ARM-based platforms such as Apple TV and Google TV, provided that the hardware is powerful enough and Microsoft is interested.
Xbox exclusive Ori and the Will of the Wisps was previously ported for Switch, which Moon Studios described as "the hardest thing we've done" (source).
Diablo IV on Game Pass
Furthermore, the company announced that the first game from Activision Blizzard, which Microsoft has acquired, to join Game Pass will be Diablo IV, starting March 28, available to all Game Pass subscribers except those on the Game Pass Core plan.
Microsoft said that Game Pass now has 34 million subscribers across PC and Xbox, up from 25 million two years ago. However, the number now includes Game Pass Core (previously Xbox Live Gold), suggested that Microsoft may fall short of its goal of reaching 100 million subscribers by 2030.
The company emphasized that there are no intentions at this time to bring Game Pass to either PlayStation or Switch.
- Source: Xbox, The Verge
