Xbox chief confirms more games are coming to other platforms

Xbox chief confirms more games are coming to other platforms

Illustration: The Verge

Xbox chief Phil Spencer has confirmed that more of Microsoft’s own games will be coming to other platforms, like the PS5 and Nintendo Switch. Microsoft revealed earlier this year that four Xbox-exclusive games were launching on PS5 and some on Nintendo Switch, with fans left wondering if it would only be four titles or if there are more to come. Spencer took the opportunity to clear up that mystery in an interview with IGN yesterday.

“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. “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.”

The confirmation of more games coming to rival platforms comes months after Spencer denied there was a change to Microsoft’s strategy of Xbox exclusives. “We made a decision that we’re going to take four games to the other consoles, just four games. Not a change to our fundamental exclusive strategy,” said Spencer in an Xbox podcast earlier this year.

Microsoft unveiled a collection of new Xbox games during its big showcase event last night, with Doom: The Dark Ages and Gears of War: E-Day the big new “world premiere” titles. One word Microsoft didn’t use all night was exclusive, though. It’s something I’ve noticed the company has been avoiding for months now. Microsoft-owned Arkane Lyon unveiled its Blade game late last year at the Game Awards, and there was no mention of exclusivity for Xbox.

We also got a first look at Bethesda’s new Indiana Jones and the Great Circle game earlier this year, and while Xbox and PC were confirmed as launch platforms, there was no mention of exclusivity. I understand Microsoft has been weighing up launching Indiana Jones on PS5 several months after the planned launch for Xbox later this year.

All of these decisions are part of “Project Latitude” inside Microsoft, a secretive project that I recently detailed in my weekly Notepad newsletter. Microsoft is considering a number of games for rival platforms, including the recently-released Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II game. You can read more about Project Latitude here.

IGN didn’t press Spencer further on the Xbox multiplatform plans, and Microsoft largely avoided the elephant in the room during its showcase by never mentioning rival platforms. Instead, it focused on a barrage of game trailers that resulted in one of the best Xbox showcases I’ve seen in years.