Highlights

  • Xbox and Nintendo are forming a strong partnership, with Xbox exclusives now heading to the Nintendo Switch platform.
  • PlayStation seems hesitant to join the team, keeping its first-party games exclusive, missing out on potential benefits.
  • This new era of collaboration could lead to more crossover opportunities between the three major video game console companies.

The video game industry has always had rivalries. Even in the very earliest days of the industry, consoles found themselves locked in fierce competition over the rapidly evolving new market, such as when Nintendo would enter that ring with Sega. With the debut of the PlayStation in 1994, the video game industry found a third major contender. Then, after Sega had to bow out, Xbox quickly took its place.

Since the early 2000s, the video game industry has largely been dominated by these three gigantic video game companies. Now, Xbox is trying desperately to break free from that cycle. Its latest plans seemingly set the stage for a partnership with Nintendo, and an idyllic future might hopefully see PlayStation entering into that partnership as well.

Nintendo Switch Xbox Exclusive Ports
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Every Rumored and Confirmed Xbox Game for Nintendo Switch So Far

Xbox has confirmed that a handful of its exclusives will be landing on the Nintendo Switch, and some expect more ports to follow.

Nintendo and Xbox Might Be Trying to Convince PlayStation to Join The Team

Nintendo's Latest Direct Proves It Has a Partnership With Xbox

For quite a while now, it's felt as though a partnership between Xbox and Nintendo could be cemented at any moment. The first major signs of this came all the way back in June 2019, when Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's Banjo-Kazooie DLC was first announced.

Banjo and Kazooie—characters made by Rare and owned by Microsoft—coming to Smash Ultimate seemed to suggest that Xbox was happy to work alongside Nintendo, and the subsequent inclusion of Minecraft 's Steve ensured this.

Since then, Xbox has been very open about its willingness to port first-party games over to the Nintendo Switch in the future, which has sparked no shortage of rumors over the years, with some of the most prevalent being that Xbox Game Pass would come to Switch at some point. Though these rumors never came to fruition, Nintendo's latest Direct has confirmed that two Xbox first-party titles, Pentiment and Grounded, are heading to the platform very soon.

On top of this, the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase also revealed that a number of classic Rare games are now available as part of Nintendo Switch Online. It's clear that Xbox is forging a new partnership with Nintendo, and while it seems pretty one-sided at this point, it does open the door for some Nintendo games on Xbox in the near future. While Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon probably won't be on Xbox anytime soon, some lesser-known or previously shelved Nintendo IPs could definitely make their way over in the coming years.

PlayStation Should Learn to Play Ball with Nintendo and Xbox

While it seems like Nintendo and Xbox are slowly starting to build a form of partnership, it doesn't seem as though PlayStation has any desire to join the team, at least right now. While Xbox has made the first move, bringing Sea of Thieves, Grounded, Pentiment, and Hi-Fi Rush to PlayStation, it doesn't seem as though this will be reciprocated at all.

It's only natural that PlayStation would want to keep its big first-party money-makers exclusive to its own consoles, and yet the recent success of Helldivers 2 on PC should show that there's plenty of money to be made in going multiplatform. Striking up even a small partnership with Nintendo and Xbox could be mutually beneficial for all parties, especially gamers.