Multiple sources report that Xbox director Sarah Bond will unveil the new strategy for the company this spring and provide an explanation for it. Recently, there has been controversy surrounding the possibility of Xbox making more games multiplatform, with fans expressing frustration due to brand loyalty and feeling misled about their Xbox console purchase.
These rumors come from Xbox reporter Idle Sloth, who suggests that Bond will soon address the community and discuss Xbox’s strategy regarding Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves, and other games going multi-platform. The move’s reasoning, reportedly metrics-driven to help sales, will also be explained, with Bond expected to acknowledge that online pushback “isn’t considered, but concerns are valid.”
Microsoft insider Jez Corden from Windows Central has backed up this report. Alongside leaks indicating Hi-Fi Rush’s availability on Switch and PlayStation, it seems that more Xbox exclusives will find their way to other platforms, not just the expected PC port.
This marks a significant shift from Xbox’s previous strategy in this console generation, where releases were primarily on Xbox and PC, and always on Game Pass from launch. Xbox has capitalized on its acquired studios by placing their new releases on Xbox and PC, but the announcement of this new strategy suggests a shift to further opportunities in software sales on PlayStation and Switch.
For example, upcoming exclusives like Avowed and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 were previously expected to skip rival platforms, but this announcement may change that. It remains to be seen what this means for other titles, and it will be interesting to see how far Microsoft will extend the strategy if it is adopted.
