A new video report has detailed a rumor which suggests that Microsoft and Nintendo are on the verge of announcing a partnership which could have massive implications for the industry. Microsoft is reportedly planning on bringing access to Xbox Game Pass and some Microsoft published titles to the Nintendo Switch via the company’s new streaming service. This not only sets a new precedent for cooperation between console makers but also showcases the versatility of game streaming software and where it may take the industry moving forward.
The report, which comes from YouTube channel Direct Feed Games, states that Microsoft is looking to bring a variety of their games and services to Nintendo’s portable console hybrid system. Direct Feed Games is generally considered to be a reliable source for information regarding Nintendo and this rumor appears to have been popping up across the industry for some time now.
The rumor suggests that the Xbox App along with the upcoming streaming service Project X-Cloud will be brought to the Switch, potentially sometime this year. Through the use of the X-Cloud software, Microsoft is reportedly intent on bringing the Xbox Game Pass library to the Switch, allowing the hardware to run a variety of titles it may not have the power to do so natively. This opens up a brand new revenue stream for Microsoft as Nintendo Switch owners would need a subscription to Xbox Game Pass to access these titles.
This is also not the first time we have seen Microsoft dabbling in bringing their streaming library to other hardware. During E3 2018, the potential of Project X-Cloud was shown off on a mobile device, solidifying its validity as a viable avenue for accessing Xbox One titles on hardware other than an Xbox One.
Along with the streaming possibilities, the rumors also suggest that physical copies of a select few Xbox One titles will be ported to the Switch, such as the critically acclaimed Ori and the Blind Forest. The potential of this partnership has been touched on before by Microsoft and Nintendo, as these ports would join the list of other Microsoft owned games being sold on the Switch, such as Minecraft. Additionally, Microsoft has allowed its developers to continue to publish games on the Nintendo hardware.
The Nintendo Switch has seen similar streaming potential before, as we saw in 2018 with major gaming titles Resident Evil 7 and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey both being available in certain regions on the Switch through streaming services.
