A new rumor suggests that Nintendo and Xbox will make an announcement later this year. The rumor was shared by Nick “Shpeshal Ed” Baker on Twitter, the co-founder of XboxEra.com. The poster pointed to an April 9th Game Mess video from Jeff Grubb. In the video, Grubb discusses a Phil Spencer photo with many interesting items on the shelf in the background, including a Nintendo Switch. (that image can be seen at ResetEra right here). In the video, Grubb states that “everything on Phil’s shelf meant something incoming.” Readers should take that with a grain of salt, but it will be interesting to see if the two companies are indeed planning something.
The Tweet from Baker can be found embedded below.
Arguably the only person I’ve seen so far to get it and understand the connection here and how this all came about. https://t.co/vlEz0hDsfY
— Shpeshal Ed (@Shpeshal_Ed) April 10, 2021
Microsoft has shown a significant amount of support for Switch over the last few years. Microsoft has published games like Ori and the Blind Forest and Minecraft on Nintendo’s console, while characters like Banjo-Kazooie and Steve are playable in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As a result of this relationship, there have been a number of rumors indicating that Xbox Game Pass could come to Switch. Microsoft has put a lot of support into the service, and getting it on Switch would add a lot more potential subscribers.
There are a lot of reasons Game Pass would make sense for Microsoft on Switch, but it’s hard to say whether Nintendo would see it as a benefit. It’s also worth noting that there are several games on Game Pass that might not be playable on Switch, so Microsoft would have to specially tailor a library the way it does for PC. A new Nintendo Switch model could help clear that hurdle, but that’s also just a rumor, at this time.
Of course, it’s possible that this could be something else entirely. Fans have been hoping to see more Microsoft characters appear in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, such as Master Chief and Doom Slayer. Nintendo fans also have a lot of passion for Banjo-Kazooie; with the characters playable in Smash, perhaps Nintendo and Microsoft could be collaborating on an all-new game! For now, fans will just have to temper their expectations.
Would you like to see Xbox Game Pass on Switch? Would it make you more likely to subscribe to the service? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
