Following the reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2, it sounds like the partnership between Nintendo and Xbox will continue apace. Microsoft’s head of gaming Phil Spencer recently reaffirmed his support for the Switch platform, as a way for the company to reach people who aren’t on its platforms.
In an interview with Variety, Spencer was asked if he had any plans for specific projects on the Nintendo Switch 2. The Xbox head said just as his company has been supporting Switch 1, it wants to support Switch 2.
“Nintendo has been a great partner. We think it is a unique way for us to reach players who aren’t PC players, who aren’t players on Xbox,” Spencer said. “It lets us continue to grow our community of people that care about the franchises that we have, and that’s really important for us to make sure we continue to invest in our games.
“I’m really a big believer in what Nintendo means for this industry and us continuing to support them,” Spencer continued. “And getting the support from them for our franchises, I think, is an important part of our future.”
Spencer has previously been a vocal proponent of the Nintendo Switch 2, as he applauded Nintendo’s innovation back around the Switch 2’s first teaser. At the time, Spencer also confirmed Xbox would continue to ship more of its games on more platforms; on PlayStation, on Steam, and on Nintendo’s consoles.
When Variety asked whether the Switch 2 reveal made Spencer “antsy” to announce what Xbox has next for its console lineup, though, it doesn’t seem like that’s moved the needle there.
“No. I think all of us in this industry should focus on our communities and the player base that we’re building,” Spencer said. “I get inspired by what a lot of different creators do and other platform holders. But I believe in the plans that we have.”
The Xbox head reiterated the company’s plans to keep delivering games, and making them available “in as many places as possible,” including cloud, PC, and consoles. Games like Pentiment and Obsidian’s Grounded have already made the jump to Nintendo platforms, but it will be interesting to see what Xbox puts on the Switch 2 once the console is officially out.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is set to officially debut on June 5, 2025. Pre-orders have yet to go live, but stay tuned to our Switch 2 pre-order hub page to keep updated on when those might go up.
Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.
