Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer expressed support for Nintendo–and hinted that Xbox games will be coming to the Nintendo Switch 2–in a recent interview with GamerTag Radio.
“I want people to be able to experience the games that we build, the services that we offer, on as many devices as we can,” Spencer said of Microsoft’s push to put Xbox games on as many screens as possible.
“We’re really taking the approach of, ‘We want people to be able to play Xbox on many different screens,'” Spencer said. “We’re not gonna put walls up around where people can engage with the great games our studios are building, or where they can experience Xbox through different forms. Whether it’s cloud [gaming], whether it’s on PC, whether it’s on handheld, whether it’s on phones… I want everybody to be able to play on Xbox, and it does mean more of our games shipping on more platforms, not just on PlayStation. We love the work that we do with Nintendo, we love what we do with Valve on Steam, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do, we’ll just continue to do more of it because what we learn is, ‘Put the games first, make sure the games can be as great as they can.'”
Spencer said he wants players to choose the hardware that’s right for them, and while he’d ultimately like to see that hardware be Microsoft-made, getting Microsoft’s games in front of a wider audience is ultimately the more important goal. Spencer said that part of the reason for this is simply the level of success reached by games that are available on multiple platforms.
“I always applaud the moves that [Nintendo] makes,” he declared, adding that he’s “really looking forward to supporting [Nintendo] with the games that we have [at Xbox].” Spencer even said he personally congratulated Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa on the announcement of the Switch 2.
“I just think they’re such an important part of this industry,” Spencer said of the Japanese gaming giant. “Who would ever bet against the success of that team? I mean they are just masterful in what they do–Switch is a massive success–and I think Switch 2 will be as well.”
“More and more, that’s an important thing [as a player], that my save game travels to whatever screen I want to play on, that my community’s always there, and I just think that should be an expectation for all of us: That the games we invest in are able to be played on any screen that we want to play them on.”
“We love the experience on our own hardware, our own platform,” Spencer said. “But our games will show up in more and more places, no doubt.”
Microsoft is currently working on its own handheld gaming platform, but it’s reportedly still a few years away from release. The publisher has already made several of its games available for the Switch, and it’s rumored that Halo: The Master Chief Collection will be coming to the Switch 2.
Spencer also discussed other topics, like the lessons Microsoft learned from the launch of the Xbox 360, his favorite game of 2024 (Metaphor: ReFantazio), and handling player feedback.
“It’s how I learn, it’s how I stay balanced,” Spencer said regarding the way he deals with critical feedback from Xbox users. “Getting out of my bubble of the people I see every day I think is critical.”
The 26-minute interview can be watched in full on GamerTag Radio host Danny Peña’s YouTube channel.