A must-have service in the Xbox ecosystem, the Game Pass could soon take an unexpected turn when it arrives on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles.

In recent years, Microsoft has gradually withdrawn from the famous "war of consoles" to devote more attention to the development of its services (Game Pass, X Cloud...). Now confirmed, the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft gave a glimpse of a desire to make Xbox Game Pass an unavoidable service, but above all exclusive to its gaming ecosystem.

However, recent comments made by one of the heads of the Xbox branch now suggest that the manufacturer wants to invade competing consoles with its Game Pass.

Xbox Game Pass: where is Microsoft going?

Officially launched in June 2017 to the general public, it wasn't until the following year that Microsoft's service really took off. In January 2018, the company from Redmond announced the arrival of first-party titles in the Game Pass as soon as they are released. A choice that will mark the first turn for the now famous subscription service, and that will materialize the beginnings of an emerging strategy within the Xbox division.

Water has since flowed under the bridge, and Xbox Game Pass continues its rise on PCs and consoles. So much so that it could, in the long run, find itself on competing platforms, according to recent (and surprising) statements by Microsoft.

le-xbox-game-pass-sur-playstation-et-switch-l-etonnante-volonte-oder-declaration-de-microsoft
Xbox Game Pass on PlayStation and Switch? 

If we know that the American giant wants to expand its service to as many screens as possible, and that the idea of seeing the Game Pass arrive on Nintendo Switch has already been discussed in the past, Microsoft's current plans seem to be moving in this direction more than ever.

Game Pass coming soon on PS5 and Nintendo Switch? It is the will of Microsoft

Yes, at the seventh annual Wells Fargo TMT Summit in the United States, Tim Stuart, chief financial officer at Xbox, said he wants to make the Game Pass (and Microsoft's proprietary games) available on "every screen where you can play games."

A choice that he himself sees as "a change of strategy", since he says it includes smart TVs, mobile devices, and PlayStation and Nintendo consoles, once considered as competing platforms.

le-xbox-game-pass-sur-playstation-et-switch-l-etonnante-volonte-oder-declaration-de-microsoft
Xbox Game Pass on PlayStation and Switch? 

At the time of writing, we still don't know if this desire to offer the Xbox Game Pass on PS5 and Nintendo Switch (or on next-generation consoles) will truly take the road to fruition.

While Microsoft obviously wants as many users as possible to enjoy its catalog of games, the company's goal is, ultimately, to attract as many consumers to its own ecosystem, whether it's PC, cloud gaming, or Xbox consoles.