The much-awaited special edition episode of the Official Xbox Podcast is over. It featured Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming along with Sarah Bond, President at Xbox, and Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Game Studios. The trio made a number of new announcements related to the future of Xbox. Here is everything that you need to know.
Four Xbox Games Are Coming to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch
The whole reason Xbox held this podcast episode was rumours about Xbox games expanding to other platforms. And this is true as Phil Spencer confirmed that four Xbox-exclusive games will be released on the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. He did not reveal the names, but mentioned two of these are community-driven games and the other two are smaller titles.
These titles are said to be available to Xbox players for at least a year and include hidden gems. A report from The Verge claims the first two titles will be Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment. The other two titles are reported to be Sea of Thieves and Grounded.
Starfield and the upcoming Indiana Jones title are not part of the multi-platform release plan yet, but Spencer has not ruled out the possibility. It seems like Xbox is experimenting with the idea and wants to see how things go before bringing any of the top titles to other platforms.
Next-Gen Xbox Console Teaser
President of Xbox Sarah Bond shared a teaser about the release of a next-gen Xbox console as part of the hardware roadmap. She said the device in question would deliver “the largest technical leap you will have ever seen”. It is touted to be a better offering for both players and creators.
We have already reported about leaked documents that revealed what the team is working on regarding future Xbox consoles. Those docs suggested the next-gen Xbox console will likely arrive in 2028. However, it is important to note that Microsoft responded to leaks by stating that the information was outdated.
It is unknown when we can expect new Xbox hardware but considering the teaser from Bond, we may see something new this year.
Diablo IV Coming to Xbox Game Pass
The long wait is finally set to be over as Diablo IV is now confirmed to be released on Xbox Game Pass. The popular action role-playing game aka ARPG title from Blizzard Entertainment will be playable for Xbox subscription players on March 28.
You will need to be an Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member to be able to play the game. If you are an Xbox Game Pass Core user, you will either need to upgrade the membership or pay the full price of the game.
Xbox says this is only the beginning and more titles from Activision and Blizzard will become available for Game Pass users. It further announced there are now over 34 million Xbox Game Pass subscribers.
