Gamers might soon miss out on playing their favorite Xbox titles on the Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 4 if Microsoft were to have its way.
The Xbox maker recently announced that it no longer has any plans to develop any additional first-party games for other platforms moving forward.
Focusing On The Xbox
In a statement to gaming news website gamesindustry.biz, Microsoft explained its decision to focus on creating new video games for its own console.
"The past year has been an exciting time for us as we have more than doubled the internal creative teams making up Xbox Game Studios," the tech company said.
"As these new studios transitioned in, we were aware of some existing commitments to other platforms and will honor them. However, going forward these new studios will focus on making games for our platforms."
Microsoft added that it still believes in cross-play and the progression of games with the flexibility for game developers to provide a "fair and fun experience."
The company recently acquired several game studios that have either released or planning to release titles for its competitors Nintendo and Sony. These include The Outer Worlds developer Obsidian, Psychonauts 2 developer Double Fine, and Bleeding Edge developer Ninja Theory.
All three companies will reportedly develop new video game titles exclusively for the Xbox in the future.
Meanwhile, Minecraft fans don't have much to worry since the game will still be supported by Microsoft across platforms. The same goes for titles such as Fortnite: Battle Royale and Rocket League.
Microsoft has been working with Nintendo on several projects over the past few months. The two companies collaborated on bringing the characters Banjo-Kazooie to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as DLC.
The Xbox maker also lent a hand in porting the popular game Cuphead and Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice to the Nintendo Switch. There are also news that Microsoft intends to bring the Xbox Live to the Switch some time in the future.
Meanwhile, Nintendo revealed that it is working with Microsoft to bring the formerly Xbox One and PC exclusive Ori and the Blind Forest Definitive Edition to the Nintendo Switch.
Xbox Games On xCloud
Microsoft's announcement might be linked to the upcoming launch of the company's own online gaming subscription service, xCloud. The project aims to leverage existing mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to let users play Xbox-quality games via streaming.
Project xCloud is considered as Microsoft's answer to Google's Stadia gaming service. However, the Xbox maker is taking a more measured approach in promoting its foray into video game streaming.
Xbox chief Phil Spencer said they are developing a "convenience capability" that would allow gamers to take the Xbox experience with them. While playing games on mobile devices might not offer the same experience as running them on the Xbox One X, the service does provide "convenience and choice" to players on their smartphones.
