Xbox Event Multi-Platform Game Lineup Leaks Online

The first wave of the widely rumored Xbox multi-platform lineup will comprise Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment, a credible insider has said. The expansion of these titles beyond the Xbox ecosystem is expected to be officially confirmed at Microsoft’s “business update” event scheduled for February 15.

The first indications that some Xbox games are going multi-platform have emerged online over the first weekend of February, stirring quite a lot of controversy among the owners of Microsoft’s consoles. The most vocal section of that demographic argued that such a move would significantly undermine the value of owning an Xbox console. The list of games alleged to be going multi-platform by a variety of sources grew so quickly that it even raised questions about the very future of Xbox hardware, which has reportedly prompted Microsoft to assure employees it won’t pull a Sega.

Microsoft today revealed that the previously promised event meant to clarify the ongoing drama will be a special episode of the Official Xbox Podcast, which is to take place on Thursday, February 15, at 3pm ET. In the hours following that announcement, The Verge’s Tom Warren reported that Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment will be the first two Xbox games to appear on non-Microsoft consoles, citing sources familiar with the matter. The insider stated that Sea of Thieves has also been greenlit for a multi-platform release, which is to happen later in 2024 and after the aforementioned duo reaches both the PS5 and Nintendo Switch.

Rumored Xbox Multi-Platform Games List

• Hi-Fi Rush (Wave 1)
• Pentiment (Wave 1)
• Sea of Thieves (Wave 2)

Xbox Multi-Platform Push May Not Include Last-Gen PS4

It is currently unclear whether Sea of Thieves is also planned to reach the Switch, or if its wider release plans are limited to the PS5. As for Sony’s last-generation console, Microsoft’s multi-platform push seems likely to skip it, partially or entirely. Although all three of the aforementioned titles could ostensibly be made to run on the PS4, even Microsoft’s last-gen console missed out on Hi-Fi Rush, so a scenario in which the PS4 doesn’t would likely cause an outcry among Xbox fans.

Even More Xbox Games May Go Multi-Platform

The newly leaked lineup is consistent with Warren’s past claims about the shift in Microsoft’s gaming platform strategy. While even some well-known insiders have recently started walking back their Xbox multi-platform claims, Warren has maintained that Hi-Fi Rush and a few other titles from Microsoft’s first-party studios would reach its rivals’ consoles throughout the February drama. The insider’s latest report reiterated that even more Xbox console exclusives are currently under consideration for a multi-platform release.

The motivation behind Microsoft’s widely reported foray into multi-platform game publishing is said to center on an attempt to improve its margins in the sector. Regardless of whether that strategy pans out, not everyone is convinced that Xbox games going multi-platform would be a big deal for the industry as a whole.

Hi-Fi Rush

Hi-Fi Rush is a third-person rhythm action game from Tango Gameworks, the same developers that worked on The Evil Within series.

Released

January 25, 2023

ESRB

Rated T: Fantasy Violence, Language

How Long To Beat

10 Hours

X|S Enhanced

No

File Size Xbox Series

16 GB (November 2023)