During a special episode of the Official Xbox Podcast, Phil Spencer revealed the first wave of Xbox titles coming to rival platforms will include four games. “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,” said Spencer. While not actually specifying which titles these are, Spencer did hint that they include “hidden gems that deserve to be experienced more widely” in addition to “live service games whose communities will benefit from welcoming even more players.”
This comes after weeks of rumors and leaks that a number of Xbox exclusive titles would be making their way to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch in the future. Two of the biggest rumored titles were Starfield and the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. During the podcast, Spencer corrected the rumors by saying neither of those two titles will be available on other platforms any time soon. Meanwhile, citing sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans, The Verge reports the first two multiplatform offerings will be action-rhythm game Hi-Fi Rush and medieval detective game Pentiment. These will be followed by pirate simulator Sea of Thieves and the survival title Grounded.
While some may be disappointed that the list seems to include only smaller or older titles, this might be the best-case scenario for gamers. All four titles were well-received upon release and represent the smaller but more creative side of Xbox’s first-party portfolio. Hi-Fi Rush was a departure from horror game developer Tango Gameworks that ended up in the conversation for Game of the Year, alongside titles like Baldur’s Gate 3. Pentiment is an excellent example of literature-influenced stories from the talented team at Obsidian Entertainment. At a time when big-budget titles like Redfall and Starfield have missed the mark, the smaller hidden gems of Xbox have delivered the most. Putting these games in the hands of more players is only a good thing.
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