Following reports and rumors last week, The Verge is reporting that Microsoft plans to release two former exclusives, Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment, on both the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. More games are also reportedly under consideration.
In a recent report, The Verge’s Tom Warren notes that both the 2023 rhythm-based action game and the 2022 Obsidian Entertainment-developed RPG would be making their way to rival platforms.
The report goes on to mention that Microsoft is also planning to launch Sea of Thieves on non-Xbox platforms later this year.No other titles have been reported to move as of now, but Warren notes other first party titles are also under consideration.
Microsoft’s lack of Game Pass growth has company contemplating other strategies
The move is obviously a huge one for Microsoft, who plans to address their business plan going forward later this week on an episode of the Xbox podcast. According to Warren, though, the move comes as Microsoft has failed to grow its Xbox Game Pass subscription count.
While the company originally had a goal of 100 million subscribers by 2030, things have stalled for the streaming service, a move that occurred due to a variety of factors, including the delay of Starfield and the lackluster response to 2022’s Redfall. According to recent analyst estimates, Game Pass is somewhere around 33 million subscribers, which puts them at just around 33% growth in two years.
The Verge’s report also suggests that Microsoft could look to show more of its hardware hand going forward. Rumors of a handheld device and new console have been making the rounds, although no official status was given by Microsoft.