While the “rumor mill” for the Nintendo Switch 2 has died down just a bit ever since Nintendo fully confirmed the system, that’s not to say that there isn’t some rumoring going on. After all, while the hardware has been confirmed by The Big N, the software element is still up in the air in many ways. First, we only know about one confirmed 1st party title that’ll drop on the Switch 2. Second, while there have been all manner of 3rd party rumors for the new system, very few of them have been 100% verified. That includes the many rumors about Microsoft bringing several Xbox franchises to the system.
The latest rumor comes from known leaker eXtas1s, who has made several confirmed claims about the Xbox line of systems in the past. He’s piggybacking off the confirmation of Forza Horizon 5 coming to the PS5 by noting it’s very likely that it’ll come to the Switch 2 as well. The announcement of the racing title going to the PS5 was a big deal for various reasons. Arguably, the biggest one is that many consider it the “best Xbox Series X title,” and thus, it would be one you’d think Microsoft would keep on its own platform instead of shipping it off to other consoles. However, due to the lack of sales for the Xbox Series X/S, which continues to stall with each year that goes on, Microsoft likely thinks it can make some extra money by putting it on rival platforms.
While unconfirmed, it is a distinct possibility. Plus, the Nintendo Switch 2 has been getting all manner of rumors about which Microsoft franchises might show up on it, including ones featuring Master Chief. Plus, Phil Spencer himself says he’s “looking forward” to working with Nintendo in the future and had nice things to say about the Switch 2 in a recent interview.
The bigger story here isn’t that the Switch 2 might get a key Xbox franchise, though that is a big deal. Instead, it’s about the state of Microsoft and the Xbox brand. Despite its efforts, gamers just aren’t connecting with them the way they used to. The focus on hardware over software has left a lot to be desired, and as recent times prove, even when they do have an exclusive game that is “Day One” on Xbox Game Pass, that doesn’t translate to sales, nor does it mean the exclusive will stay exclusive for long.
As such, you might be hearing more stories like this one in the future.
