Microsoft Expands Xbox First-Party Game Availability to PlayStation and Nintendo Platforms, While Maintaining Their Own Hardware

Since Microsoft snapped up Activision-Blizzard and its slew of development teams, it has positioned Xbox as the biggest third-party game publisher in history. So, it’s no surprise that Xbox leader Phil Spencer’s recent chat on Gamertag Radio stirred things up. In the interview, Spencer shared that upcoming Xbox games will also find their way to other platforms like Nintendo and PlayStation, which, when you think about it, really does make sense.

During the conversation with Danny Peña and Parris from Gamertag Radio, Phil Spencer expressed a desire to make Xbox games available across as many devices as possible, stating, “I want people to be able to experience the games that we build, the services that we offer on as many devices as we can.” That, along with his acknowledgment of the “native experience” on Xbox’s own hardware, sheds light on Xbox’s ever-evolving strategy. You can catch the full episode on YouTube, where they also take a nostalgic ride through Xbox history, touching on classics from the Xbox and 360 days.

Now, a quick detour into gaming history for those puzzled by why this news raises eyebrows: Remember Sonic the Hedgehog, the movie star? He hails from a series of video games that were once exclusive to Sega consoles. Back in the day, Sega’s Dreamcast was in a fierce battle with Sony’s mighty PlayStation 2, which ultimately led to Dreamcast’s downfall and Sega’s transformation into just another third-party developer—leaving a gap Microsoft was quick to fill with Xbox.

In Xbox’s early days, or the “DirectX Box” phase, there was a plan for backward compatibility with Sega’s Dreamcast games, which made sense since Dreamcast was already friendly with Windows CE. Although this didn’t make it into the final product, Xbox did host exclusive sequels to Dreamcast classics like Jet Set Radio Future.

At first glance, Spencer’s comments might sound like the sort of thing you’d hear from a struggling console maker, but Microsoft is in a league of its own. Having achieved the monumental status of the largest third-party game publisher, Microsoft’s aim is now on reaching the widest audience possible, not just locking everyone into Xbox hardware.

Spencer elaborates, “We want everybody to be able to play on Xbox, and it does mean more of our games shipping on more platforms, not just PlayStation.” He also appreciates the partnership with Nintendo and the collaborative work with Valve on Steam, reassuring that these relationships will continue.

So, is Xbox destined to follow in Sega’s footsteps? Not exactly. With Microsoft’s substantial financial backing, Xbox is secure. However, for future Xbox consoles to thrive, they’ll need to offer compelling reasons to choose their hardware over others, especially with competitors like the anticipated “Switch 3” and powerful PlayStation 6 banking on exclusive titles.

Microsoft needs to tread carefully with the shift from being seen solely as a hardware giant to being recognized for its games and services. As the saying goes, “When everybody’s on Xbox, no one will be.”