TECH NEWS – During the official Xbox podcast, the management finally confirmed that four of its exclusive titles will soon reach other platforms, while it was also revealed which games will remain exclusively on the console, as well as what the future holds for it…

During yesterday’s much-anticipated Xbox podcast, the company’s management confirmed that four of the console ecosystem’s exclusive games will also appear on rival platforms. The business update responded to snowballing rumours that Xbox would end exclusive game development.

It all started last month when rumours surfaced that Tango Gameworks’ 2023 surprise hit Hi-Fi Rush and Rare’s roguelike live service game Sea of Thieves were both coming to rival platforms, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.

Considering the smaller scale of both games and Sea of Thieves’ status as a live service game, the rumours made sense. However, the Xbox community reacted hysterically when more rumours began to leak out that significant exclusives such as Starfield, Halo Infinite and Gears of War were also coming to PlayStation 5. Even some of Xbox’s top AAA games scheduled for 2024, such as Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, have been included in the rumour mill, causing even more outrage.

Can Starfield and the new Indy game remain Xbox-exclusive?!

Xbox fans finally got some official clarity, as Xbox executives Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond and Matt Booty all sat down for the latest Xbox podcast to talk about the brand’s future plans. Spencer explained that he plans to bring the four Xbox-exclusive games to other platforms, but he felt it was essential to confirm that this does not mean a complete change in Xbox’s exclusive strategy. While he didn’t ensure what those games were, he clarified that two are smaller-scale titles. The other two are community-focused service games; all of them have been published for at least a year.

Spencer also confirmed that Starfield and the highly anticipated upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will remain exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem.

None of the three Xbox executives specifically confirmed which platforms these four games will land on. It is assumed that PS5 and Switch will be targeted. As for what those games might be, Hi-Fi Rush and Obsidian Entertainment’s Pentiment would make the most sense. After all, these are Xbox’s two smaller love projects. Spencer mentioned that both titles were “never really designed to be built as platform exclusives.” Given that both games were already in production long before Xbox acquired their studio, they were probably originally intended to be multiplatform. As for the two live service games, Sea of Thieves is most likely to be one of them. It is arguably Xbox’s most successful ongoing game. Obsidian’s survival sandbox, Grounded, would be another sure candidate.

During the Xbox podcast, it was revealed what future awaits the console?!

Xbox has put an end to troubling rumours about its future hardware plans. Trusted insiders and leakers recently caused a minor stir when they suggested that the Xbox could go fully multiplatform.

When the Xbox multiplatform rumours started, many worried that it meant Xbox was getting out of the hardware business.

Fortunately for Xbox fans, this is not the case. Sarah Bond, the president of Xbox, said that “there’s some exciting stuff coming out in hardware that we’re gonna share this holiday,” and that the company has also invested in the next generation of consoles.

“What we’re really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation.”

Xbox has big plans for next-gen hardware

Unfortunately, Xbox fans must wait for more details about the company’s future hardware plans. However, court documents and insider reports have revealed the existence of a new Xbox controller. The latter has similar features to the PS5’s DualSense, and could potentially be what Bond was referring to when he mentioned the 2024 holiday announcement.

Alternatively, the 2024 holiday announcement could be for the rumoured digital-only Xbox Series X console, but that has yet to be revealed.

It’s also possible that Xbox refers to the rumoured handheld console. The latter may also be announced in the coming holiday season. Both PlayStation and Xbox are rumoured to be developing their own Steam Deck-like handheld consoles. These systems would not resemble classic handheld consoles like the Nintendo DS or the PSP. Because they wouldn’t have exclusive games. But in theory, they would allow someone to take their PlayStation and Xbox library with them on the go. However, fans will have to wait for an official announcement on that front before getting too excited about the prospect of an Xbox handheld…

Source: YouTube