While Microsoft has long supported PlayStation and Nintendo with games like Minecraft, this year saw the company make a bigger push to release Xbox games on competing platforms. In his annual shareholder letter, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella brought up that push, while also speaking broadly about the company’s vision for the Xbox brand. Nadella’s vision is to allow greater access to these Xbox brands, and that’s clearly seen as important following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Nadella does not offer any specific information about which games could make the jump from Xbox to PlayStation or Nintendo, but clearly there’s a plan beyond the current offerings.
“We are bringing great games to more people on more devices. With our acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, which closed October 2023, we’ve added hundreds of millions of players to our ecosystem. We now have 20 franchises that have generated over $1 billion in lifetime revenue—from Candy Crush, Diablo, and Halo, to Warcraft, Elder Scrolls, and Gears of War. And with Xbox cloud gaming, we continue to innovate to offer players more ways to experience the games they love—where, when, and how they want. Finally, we brought four of our fan-favorite titles to Nintendo Switch and Sony PlayStation for the first time, as we continue to extend our content to new platforms,” writes Nadella.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The four games that Nadella refers to are Pentiment, Grounded, Sea of Thieves, and Hi-Fi Rush. All four of those games were released on PlayStation, while the first two were released on Switch. Nintendo has a more powerful console rumored to release in 2025, and it’s possible we could see Sea of Thieves brought over to the so-called “Switch 2.” The Rare developed game has seen a lot of success on PS5, and would seem like a logical choice to bring over. There were a plethora of rumors about Hi-Fi Rush coming to a Nintendo console, but Microsoft no longer owns the property. As such, that decision might rest in the hands of the game’s current owner, Krafton.
RELATED: Krafton Purchases Tango Gameworks and Hi-Fi Rush IP
In addition to those games, we know that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be coming to PlayStation 5 in 2025. It’s possible that game could also land on Switch 2, but we might have to wait for Nintendo’s official announcement before Microsoft reveals its plans. Beyond that is anyone’s guess, but Microsoft has no shortage of great games it could introduce to new audiences. Franchises like Halo, Gears of War, and Forza have remained exclusive to Xbox, and there’s been debate about whether Microsoft is willing to bring them to other platforms. On one hand, fans are worried about what this could do to long term interest in Xbox consoles, but it could result in a lot more players discovering these franchises.
What Xbox games would you like to see ported to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch? Do you think this strategy is a good one on Nadella’s part? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
