For years at this point, fans have been wondering if Microsoft and Nintendo would one day find a way to bring the Xbox manufacturer's subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, to the Japanese companies current console, the Switch. And while no such deal between the two parties has come about to this point, new information has now emerged from the head of Xbox that has informed us that such an agreement likely won't ever come to fruition.

In a new conversation from GamesRadar, Xbox chief Phil Spencer was asked about the possibility of seeing Xbox Game Pass come to Switch in one form or another. Although Spencer didn't respond in a definitive manner to the question, he said that at this point in time, he doesn't see it happening purely because Xbox isn't planning to bring the service to platforms that aren't open to all. "We have no plans to bring it to any other kind of closed platforms right now, mainly because those closed platforms don't want something like Game Pass," Spencer said of the idea of bringing a native Xbox app to the Nintendo Switch. "There's a ton of open platforms out there for us to grow in: the web, PC, and mobile. So all of our focus, frankly, is on those platforms."

Despite shooting down the notion that Xbox Game Pass would likely ever appear on Nintendo Switch, Spencer was also very candid in the conversation and said that he still wants the best for the video game industry at large. "For us to succeed, I don't think another company has to get smaller," he said. He went on to say that he believes crossplay is also an important aspect of the current gaming landscape and insisted that players should be able to experience certain titles, such as Minecraft, with their friends, no matter where they might enjoy it from. "That war might help one device win over another device, but it doesn't help the industry," Spencer explained. "I believe focusing on player joy, ease of play, and accessibility, in the long run, is the right strategy. And I think the industry will move in that direction, because that's what gamers will demand."



Posted: Aug 14, 2021 6:50 pm
Related Forum: Gaming Discussion

Source: https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/xbox-game-pass-nintendo-switch-phil-spencer-response/