Sony’s Latest Switch Announcements May Disappoint Xbox Enthusiasts

Nintendo’s recent Direct presentation may not have dazzled us with headline first-party reveals, but it had a strong showing from third-party developers. Atlus announced a remaster of Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army, while Square Enix offered a fresh glimpse at the Dragon Quest 1+2 HD Remake. Even Spike Chunsoft was on hand to announce a new installment in the AI: The Somnium Files series. Though the presence of these developers wasn’t unexpected—they’ve been involved in past events—it was Sony’s participation in the showcase that caught everyone off guard.

The Nintendo Direct featured not just one, but two games from franchises typically exclusive to PlayStation: Patapon 1+2 Replay and Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots. The first is a remastered collection of the beloved Patapon rhythm games from the PSP era, and the latter is a completely new entry in the popular Everybody’s Golf series, formerly known as Hot Shots Golf in the U.S. Traditionally published by Sony, these revamped games are now being released by Bandai Namco. They are set to launch on the PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC later this year, but interestingly, they’ve opted out of an Xbox release. This decision leaves Microsoft fans a bit disappointed.

Sony usually holds its games close, rarely sharing them on competitors’ platforms. Historically, Sony’s games have seldom appeared on Nintendo consoles, with a few exceptions like Wipeout 64 in 1998 and Return to PopoloCrois in 2015. However, things are changing. Last year, Sony launched LEGO Horizon Adventures on the Switch, a family-friendly spin-off from its hit Horizon series. Additionally, they announced the remaster of the cult classic PS Vita title, Freedom Wars, for the Switch under Bandai Namco’s guidance.

The decision to allow Bandai Namco to handle Freedom Wars lay the groundwork for similar collaborations, as seen with Patapon and Everybody’s Golf. Sony seems to be willing to give its underrepresented IPs a fresh start on other platforms while keeping ownership. Sadly for Xbox fans, these titles still aren’t making their way to Microsoft’s ecosystem.

Despite Microsoft’s recent efforts to bring Xbox-exclusive titles to rival consoles—such as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Forza Horizon 5—Sony doesn’t appear to be adopting the same approach. Microsoft’s open strategy is in stark contrast to Sony’s guarded one. Even as Sony’s PS5 continues to outperform Xbox Series X/S globally, it seems they see no advantage in helping fuel competition. While they’re open to porting some of their neglected franchises to Nintendo consoles, titles like Patapon aren’t making their way to Xbox, indicating that any future cross-platform releases will likely sidestep Microsoft’s consoles entirely.