Xbox hit Hi-Fi Rush is heavily rumored to be set for rival console the Nintendo Switch in 2024, sparking a vociferous debate about Microsoft’s exclusives strategy.
Insider “Nate the Hate”, who has a good track record when it comes to video game announcements, teased that a critically acclaimed Xbox exclusive is set to launch on a competing console platform.
Resetera user lolilolailo, who also has a good track record for video game announcements, then appeared to confirm Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush is coming to Switch.
Windows Central then reported that Microsoft “has been exploring bringing some of its back catalog to other platforms, although some of the details remain vague and unconfirmed.” IGN has asked Microsoft for comment.
The reports have sparked a debate online about Microsoft’s Xbox exclusive strategy, with some fans bemoaning the idea of an Xbox exclusive launching on a rival console such as the Nintendo Switch or the PlayStation 5. Others have expressed excitement that a game such as Hi-Fi Rush could get a second wind and millions more players, potentially helping to build the case for a sequel.
The rumours come just two months after Xbox CFO Tim Stuart said Microsoft wants to bring first-party games to “every screen that can play games,” including rival consoles.
“It’s a bit of a change of strategy,” Stuart said at the Wells Fargo TMT Summit in November. “Not announcing anything broadly here, but our mission is to bring our first-party experiences [and] our subscription services to every screen that can play games. That means smart TVs, that means mobile devices, that means what we would have thought of as competitors in the past like PlayStation and Nintendo.”
Stuart’s comments were reported as confirmation of Microsoft’s intention to bring Game Pass to rival consoles, but Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer subsequently denied such a plan.
Still, that leaves the door open for Microsoft to launch more of its first-party games on rival consoles. Hi-Fi Rush launched on January 25, 2023. Could it set a precedent for Xbox games to expand to other platforms a year after release?
It’s worth noting Microsoft does already publish its games on non-Xbox platforms. Minecraft is of course available on pretty much every platform going. Bethesda games The Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76 are both published and updated on PlayStation. Double Fine’s Psychonauts 2 came out in August 2021 for PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and S.
It’s also worth noting that Microsoft has a long list of exclusive games due out this year and beyond, including the likes of Obsidian’s Avowed, Ninja Theory’s Hellblade 2, and Playground’s Fable. There’s no suggestion that these exclusives will launch on PlayStation as well as Xbox.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
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