Xbox boss Phil Spencer announced at GDC that Cuphead was coming to switch, this represents the first time a Microsoft owned property is going multi-platform (ignoring Minecraft due to the fact it was on everything before their acquisition). This is big news and gives us some insight into what Xbox Live on Switch means. Going forward it isn’t hard to imagine a world where the likes of Halo or Gears are on other platforms. Microsoft took some lumps this generation with muddled messaging in the beginning and a lack of exclusives. However, where they stood out was their push toward a “gamers first” mentality with services like GamePass, backward compatibility, cross-play, and a partnership with Nintendo. Now after the Cuphead announcement it’s clear that Xbox has ambitious plans. With Project Scarlet, their rent to own system, and Xbox Live on Switch they have a vision of the future and it would seem they plan to launch that future this E3. They haven’t said what that future is, but it looks like they plan to attack all fronts, streaming with Scarlet, a new Xbox console, and branching out to other platforms like Switch. With Microsoft covering basically every base they have a good shot at reclaiming their top spot and their Cuphead on Switch move is just the beginning.
