Microsoft is bringing Xbox Game Pass, Ori and the Blind Forest to Nintendo Switch - reports
It looks like Microsoft will soon reveal an unprecedented partnership with Nintendo.
According to a Direct Feed Games report, Microsoft is working on making its Xbox Game Pass subscription service available on Nintendo Switch.
The service will reportedly rely on Microsoft's xCloud game streaming tech to stream Xbox One games to Switch consoles everywhere through a dedicated Xbox App.
Xbox Game Pass has, of course, been exclusively a non-streaming service where subscribers are able to download and play games freely for the duration of their subscription. However, with Microsoft's game streaming ambitions, most notably through the same xCloud tech, it's easy to imagine the Xbox Game Pass label expanding to encompass both.
Game Informer has corroborated this information with its own sources, adding that an announcement is expected sometime this year.
Direct Feed's report also reveals that Microsoft is working on making some of its published games available on Switch. Ori and the Blind Forest is specifically mentioned as a game that would be a good fit for Switch. This isn't the first time a Microsoft-published game has made its way onto other platforms, as Minecraft is available on plenty of platforms not run by the company, including Switch.
VG247 has heard similar whispers about this push. Our sources suggest this goes beyond just Ori, as Super Lucky's Tale is also on its way to Switch. Other Microsoft-published games are not out of the question, and JeuxVideo mentions Cuphead is one such title.
The idea is to make games that can run on Switch hardware available natively, while relegating the bigger titles to streaming through Xbox Game Pass.
Nintendo is happy to allow third-party publishers to stream their games to Switch, as we've seen before with Capcom's Resident Evil 7, and Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Odyssey before it. Both of these were only available in Japan, but they indicate a shift in Nintendo's attitude.
As for Microsoft, the company is clearly very interested in making its games and services available to as many users as possible, regardless of their platform.