With Releases on Rival Consoles, Xbox Proves 'Multi-Platform' Isn't a Four-Letter Word
Four Xbox titles will be released across Switch and PlayStation 5 in 2024.
Microsoft is bringing several games to Nintendo and PlayStation consoles, proving that brands can succeed beyond the territory lines of their own platforms. Multiple games from Microsoft-owned studios including Pentiment (Obisdian), Hi-Fi Rush (Bethesda/Tango Softworks), Grounded (Obsidian), and Sea of Thieves (Rare) will join the likes of Minecraft and Diablo IV as Xbox games that are not exclusive to Xbox platforms (all four of these titles are available on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox consoles, and PC).
One of the biggest changes we're seeing in games in 2024 relates to console exclusivity. Juggernaut console exclusives are important for brand-building, but there's no denying platform-agnostic games like Minecraft and Roblox are ruling the world. PlayStation and Xbox have had to confront this fact head-on, with major Sony-produced games like Marvel’s Spider-Man and God of War making their way to PC. Meanwhile, Microsoft has lit the internet gaming community on fire with discourse over its recent decisions to bring Pentiment and more to non-Xbox platforms in the coming months.
If you look at the numbers, it's a no-brainer. Circana analyst Matt Piscatella laid the data out plain and simple on X recently, noting that only 18% of Switch owners in the United States also own an Xbox Series console. And just a slightly higher percentage (25%) own a PlayStation 5. Nintendo is approaching 160 million lifetime Switch sales, with over 50 million of those being in the US.
While Nintendo's hybrid console/handheld platform is underpowered compared to the Xbox Series and PS5, bringing over games like Pentiment that will have no problem running on Switch makes plenty of sense, especially since a Game Pass subscription is how word of mouth for these kinds of games builds. Even games that aren't coming to Switch, like Sea of Thieves, are still benefiting from this move. After one or more years of Xbox exclusivity, these games will find new audiences previously left entirely untapped.
Game Pass is staying Xbox and PC-exclusive, so any releases on other platforms are non-subscription sales. Hybridizing bespoke sales and subscriptions is arguably a key strategy as the industry adjusts to prioritizing audience engagement and retention over pure growth. Other studies have shown an increasing need for publishers and developers to adapt, as investment money grows more selective and the capacity for audience growth year over year reaches its limits.
For more on Xbox’s decision to bring its games to rival platforms, head over to Xbox’s website.
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