Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has voiced his support for the upcoming Switch 2, even before the hybrid console's official release in 2025. Read on to learn more about the future between Microsoft and Nintendo.
Xbox CEO Pledges His Support For Switch 2
Xbox Will Continue Porting Games to Nintendo Switch 2
Xbox CEO Phil Spencer announced its support for Nintendo Switch 2 and plans to port multiple games for this upcoming platform during an interview with Gamertag Radio on January 25, 2025.
Spencer already pledged Xbox games to Switch 2 before its release this year as he foresaw Nintendo’s success with its upcoming hybrid console. During the interview, Spencer revealed that he has been exchanging emails with Nintendo’s president, Shuntaro Furukawa. "I was exchanging emails with Furukawa-san, the CEO of Nintendo. I gave him a big congrats and said my old eyes appreciate the larger screen."
"Nintendo, their innovation, and what they mean in this industry… I just always applaud the moves that they make. They did a little flash video, and I know we’ll get more detail over time. I’m really looking forward to supporting them with the games that we have, and I just think they’re a really important part of this industry."
Though no specific games were mentioned during the interview, Microsoft did have an existing 10-year agreement with Nintendo, which was officially announced on February 25, 2023. This agreement entails that Microsoft will "bring Call of Duty to Nintendo Players—the same day as Xbox, with full feature and content parity," said Microsoft president Brad Smith.
Currently, Xbox is bringing games like Grounded and Pertinent to its rivals platforms, such as Switch and PlayStation to increase its reach in the gaming market. Following its business strategy and the upgraded power of Switch 2, more Xbox games might make their way to Nintendo’s upcoming hybrid console.
Xbox is Working on a New Platform
In the same interview, Spencer reiterated that Xbox is working diligently on its newest hardware despite bringing its games to rival companies.
According to Spencer, games that "run across so many different platforms" are the most successful ones, and Xbox must capitalize on their success. "I want to build a platform that services those creators, the creators that are trying to meet people on every screen," said Spencer.
Though Xbox will target game creators who want to bring their games to multiple platforms, Spencer emphasized that they are making a platform that developers and players alike would prefer. "Let’s go build innovative hardware that people want to use to play, whether that’s in their hands, whether it’s on the television, or even other places."
That being said, Xbox will not gatekeep its games and instead make them more accessible to wider audiences, all while developing new consoles or handheld devices.
Xbox Plans to Reach More Players on Various Devices
On November 14, 2024, Xbox Marketing senior director Craig McNary announced its new slogan, "This is an Xbox." This business slogan focuses on extending the reach of Xbox to newer devices.
"This Is an Xbox invites people to play with Xbox across multiple devices and screens," shared McNary. It showcases the evolution of Xbox as a platform that extends across devices, with bold, iconic, fun visuals and a light-hearted tone. Launching today, the campaign will come to life in a variety of ways."
The announcement humorously showed multiple things like remote control, laptop, cat box, bento box, and more, labeling what Xbox is or isn’t. Despite the silly comparison, the message is strong. Many devices are connected to Xbox or Microsoft in one way or another. To further realize this goal, Xbox partnered with Samsung, Crocs™, Porsche, and other companies to "help bring the campaign to life in unexpected and entertaining ways."
Xbox is going in the opposite direction of what its competitors are doing, instead of making exclusive games and keeping them that way, the company is very open about porting them to rival consoles for any player to enjoy.
Sources:
Phil Spencer Interview with Gamertag Radio
Microsoft President Brad Smith: 10-Year Agreement with Nintendo
Xbox Wire Article: This Is an Xbox
