Xbox revealed its “vision for the future” today in a podcast featuring executives Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty, who did their best to articulate the path forward for the platform amid reports of plans to embrace a third-party publishing strategy.
The business update confirmed that four games will be releasing on other platfoms, though Xbox did not provide additional details. It also revealed Xbox’s plans for Activision Blizzard games on Game Pass while teasing the “largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation” for its next console.
Here’s everything that was announced.
Xbox reveals its plans for PS5 and more.
The biggest news was Xbox’s confirmation that four games will indeed be going multi-platform. Spencer declined to name the games, saying only, “The teams that are building those games have announced plans that are not too far away. As we know, games teams put a lot of energy into their announcements and partners. So I don’t wanna take anything away from those teams, so I won’t be talking about the titles specifically, but I think when they come out, it’ll make sense.”
Asked whether Indiana Jones and Starfield will be among the games going multi-platform, Spencer said “they are not.” As for the four games that will be going multi-platform, The Verge reports that they will be Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves, and Grounded.
The Xbox Wire post reads, “To ensure long-term success for both Xbox and the industry as a whole, we must continue to evolve. Today we announced that we will expand the communities we reach: we are currently in the process of bringing four Xbox games to other platforms. These are titles which have been available to Xbox players for at least a year, including hidden gems that deserve to be experienced more widely, and live service games whose communities will benefit from welcoming even more players. We will share more details on these titles soon.”
Diablo 4 is coming to Game Pass
The update also confirmed that Diablo 4 will be coming to Game Pass on March 28, with this being “only the beginning” for Activision Blizzard games on the service. Fans have been waiting for Activision Blizzard to arrive on Game Pass since the deal closed last year, with Spencer chalking up the delay to “regulatory challenges.”
Xbox also reaffirmed its commitment to the service, saying that “Game Pass will continue to only be available on Xbox platforms and will have all first-party games available on day one.”
On the console front, Xbox confirmed that it’s working on a next-gen console and that it will be the “largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation,” and appeared to tease new hardware for this holiday.
“Xbox hardware will also continue to be a flagship experience for players and for game developers to launch games on with a robust and innovative multi-year hardware roadmap, including more console and controller options for you this holiday,” Xbox tweeted.
Rumors include a dedicated handheld device similar to the Steam Deck as well as a digital-only Xbox.
Xbox hardware will also continue to be a flagship experience for players and for game developers to launch games on with a robust and innovative multi-year hardware roadmap, including more console and controller options for you this holiday.
— Xbox (@Xbox) February 15, 2024
Rumors have swirled concerning Xbox’s plans for more than a month now, with Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves, Pentiment, and Starfield all rumored to be heading to different platforms at various points. The reports ignited a debate around the value of exclusives within the gaming community as fans argued over the path forward for Xbox, which has lagged behind its competitors in terms of sales and releases this generation.
In a town hall meeting with Xbox employees, Spencer reaffirmed that Xbox would continue to make hardware going forward, seeking to alleviate concerns that Microsoft plans to get out of the console business altogether. Bond, meanwhile, reiterated Microsoft’s desire to “make every screen an Xbox.”
Stay tuned for more analysis of Xbox’s announcements at IGN, including a special episode of Podcast Unlocked and lots more.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.