After rumors spread across the internet about Xbox potentially bringing their first-party games to PlayStation and Nintendo platforms, the conversation around the publisher has been filled with discourse. From fans threatening to abandon the brand to many weighing the pros and cons of this major strategic shift, there’s been a lot of chatter about the future of Xbox lately. However, all the speculation, frustration, and concern has only been spurred by rumors up until now.

Everyone has been eagerly awaiting official confirmation from the Xbox team – which has finally come in the form of a “business update” on the official Xbox podcast. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, Xbox President Sarah Bond, and Xbox Games Studio Head Matt Booty all appeared to discuss key updates about the state of exclusives and Xbox hardware. There’s a lot to talk about, so let’s delve right into the biggest takeaways from Xbox’s most recent update.

4 games heading to PlayStation and Nintendo

The best place to start is with the question everyone’s had on their mind: What games are going multiplatform? Well, there’s still no clear-cut answer. According to Phil Spencer, there are four games being brought to other platforms, but the names of those games are still a mystery. Spencer did make things a little clearer though by giving some details as to why these games are going multiplatform and how it plays into their larger goals.

These games were described as titles that are over a year old and have reached their full potential on the Xbox platform. Spencer gave more clarification that two of the games were live-service titles who could see their audiences grow by getting in the hands of more players. The other two were described as smaller games who we’re never really seen as pure Xbox exclusives from the start.

Based on Spencer’s descriptions, it seems like the games could be Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves, and Grounded. Spencer also clarified that none of the multiplatform games mentioned are Starfield or Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – which means they’ll stay exclusive. However, the team mentioned that this would be the first exercise in this multiplatform strategy and be a learning experience for the future. So, this could mean that this is the start of a larger effort to bring Xbox games to other platforms and that the door is potentially open for larger Xbox franchises to debut on rival platforms. For now, though, Xbox remains committed to delivering Xbox exclusives for its audience – Xbox fans are surely relieved by this news.

A new console on the way?

One of the last things mentioned was a not-so-subtle hint that Xbox fans should expect a hardware-related announcement later this year. During the discussion, Sarah Bond made some interesting comments about the future of Xbox consoles: “We’re really focused on delivering the largest technical leap you will ever see in a hardware generation.” “We have some exciting stuff coming out in hardware that we’re going to share this holiday,” said Bond. Now, what does this mean exactly? Well, Bond could be hinting at a mid-gen refresh console – like a slim model or a “pro” console – that could be coming this holiday season.

Or, Xbox could be ready to share new details about its next-gen hardware. Frankly, the mention of a “technical leap” makes it seem like Bond is talking about more than just a mid-gen update. With Phil Spencer saying that he believes the industry hasn’t been growing and needs to expand in bigger and better ways, perhaps Xbox is on the verge of kicking off the next generation of consoles. This holiday could be really exciting – especially if Nintendo’s new console arrives too. A safe bet though is that just to expect a mid-gen update that could entice some to jump into the Xbox ecosystem that’s held together by Game Pass.

Game Pass is Xbox’s main driving force

As expressed by all three Xbox heads on the panel, Game Pass is a key element to their concept of getting Xbox games into the hands of as many players as possible. While they have an eye-opening 34 million Game Pass subscribers, which was mentioned in the discussion, they’re still looking to expand their reach. Their efforts to bring Game Pass to PC symbolizes this strategy and Phil Spencer even mentioned that he’d love to take the service to every platform possible. This led to Sarah Bond chiming in about some future updates to Game Pass that include some games from the Activision/Blizzard/King acquisition.

Bond announced that Diablo IV would be the first game from that deal to come to Game Pass and that it’s arriving on March 28^th. It’s a great first addition to Game Pass and there will be plenty more iconic franchises that are set to follow. But the question remains if games like the upcoming Call of Duty or a new Diablo will come to Game Pass day and date. The trio somewhat hinted that will be the case, but it seems like we’ll have to wait until we get official confirmation. Maybe we’ll find out more at the upcoming Xbox Showcase in June that Matt Booty mentioned.