February 5th 2024.
There has been a lot of talk lately about Starfield and whether it will be available on other gaming platforms. According to multiple sources, it seems that this may indeed be the case, as rumors of Xbox becoming a third-party developer continue to spread.
What was once considered impossible is now looking more and more like a reality. New rumors have surfaced, claiming that not only will Hi-Fi Rush be available on other consoles, but also Starfield, Indiana Jones And The Great Circle, and other major Xbox exclusives.
Despite these rumors, Microsoft has yet to comment on the original reports that Hi-Fi Rush and Sea Of Thieves may be coming to PlayStation 5 and/or Nintendo Switch sometime this year. However, recent rumors on Sunday night suggested that Starfield may also be released on other platforms, despite being advertised as an Xbox exclusive. This led to other sources suggesting that this may only be the beginning of a larger shift for Xbox.
These rumors come after months of mixed messages from Xbox, with one executive mentioning a "change of strategy" and stating that Sony and Nintendo are no longer competitors. However, Xbox boss Phil Spencer quickly clarified that Game Pass will not be available on other platforms, though he did not mention anything about individual games like Hi-Fi Rush or Starfield.
The talk of Starfield going multiformat first emerged from website XboxEra. According to their sources, some Xbox executives were unhappy with this change in direction, but the argument for making games available on multiple platforms has won out.
The idea of more multiformat releases was also discussed in a series of Discord messages before the Developer_Direct last month. These messages claimed that not only will Starfield be available on other platforms, but also other Bethesda games and Microsoft Flight Simulator. Additionally, there were rumors that Microsoft may start allowing other hardware manufacturers to make Xbox consoles, potentially leading to Microsoft stopping production of their own.
While this last idea has not been reported by any other sources, the same Discord server accurately predicted both Indiana Jones And The Great Circle and Hideo Kojima's involvement in making a movie.
It's hard to take all of these rumors at face value, but just hours later, The Verge also reported that Indiana Jones will be available on multiple platforms, despite being announced as an Xbox exclusive last month. They claim that "a new multi-platform approach for certain Xbox games is emerging inside Microsoft," and that the company is considering which titles will remain exclusive and which will be available on Switch or PS5 in the future.
There is no clear timeline for an official announcement, but The Verge suggests that Hi-Fi Rush will be confirmed in the coming weeks, while XboxEra believes that the PlayStation 5 version of Starfield may coincide with the release of the Shattered Space DLC.
Another rumor, from leaker Idle Sloth, stated that new Xbox president Sarah Bond will make an announcement in the spring. However, the tweet making this claim was deleted just a few hours later. Windows Central's Jez Corden seemed to confirm that the claim was accurate, but it's possible that any announcement may be delayed depending on internal discussions at Microsoft.
At this point, it all seems too good to be true. However, what's interesting about these rumors is that so many different sources have reported the same or similar information. It's safe to say that Xbox has been considering a move towards releasing more multiformat games, and it's possible that in the future, most or all of their exclusive titles may be available on multiple platforms.
While it may not be as simple as Xbox "going third party," the disappointing console sales over the holiday season may have prompted Microsoft to consider this as a solution. It's happening, and we can't wait to see what the future holds for Xbox and its games.
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