What Could the Microsoft and Nintendo Collaboration Be

Surprising collaborations are always a good way for the video game industry to drum up hype. It's interesting to see what comes of projects where two or more very different companies work together. Sometimes, when groups with very different perspectives on game development and competing plans for the future collaborate, some really brilliant and exciting things come out of it. The rumored collaboration between Microsoft and Nintendo is one of those situations. Even if it's not sure that the collaboration is real, the mere idea of Microsoft and Nintendo working together is pretty exciting, considering how much influence on video games they both have.

Microsoft and Nintendo are very different companies. Microsoft and the Xbox lean into supporting intense, flashy AAA games, and it's increasingly determined to collect some of the most influential game developers out there. In contrast, Nintendo is more famous than ever for its group-hug approach to the video game industry, presenting family-friendly entertainment with accessible consoles and a chipper demeanor. In spite of their differences, a Microsoft-Nintendo collaboration could result in something that goes a long way for both companies. There's a lot of Microsoft games and characters that could really shake things up by appearing on a Nintendo system.

One massive surprise that could come out of a collaboration like this would be Xbox Game Pass coming to the Nintendo Switch. Microsoft's subscription-based system for playing games from all kinds of publishers is one of the Xbox Series X's biggest draws. Microsoft made a big deal out of all the new games coming to Game Pass ahead of the Series X's launch. Game Pass remains a huge money maker for Microsoft, and stands to reason why. Things like Outriders, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection would be a big deal if they were suddenly available on the Switch via Xbox Game Pass.

The big question about Xbox Game Pass on Switch would be what exactly the Switch is actually able to offer compared to the Xbox One and the Xbox Series X. The Switch is a fun and clever console, but it doesn't have the processing power of its biggest rivals. If Game Pass really did come to Switch, odds are it would be pared down a little bit in order to cater to the Switch's capabilities. Even with only a limited list of games available, though, there's lots that would make a splash through a pipeline like this. Game Pass would be a clever way for Microsoft to let the Switch have fetching titles like Sea of Thieves while possibly getting a better cut of the revenue than just releasing the game for Switch.

It's also possible that Microsoft-Nintendo team speaks to the ongoing rumors of a Switch Pro. If Nintendo really is making a high-power console meant to compete with the newest platforms from Microsoft and Sony, it might have opted to team up with Microsoft by seeing what Microsoft games could come to Switch Pro. If the rumored specs of the Switch Pro are to be believed, it could handle things like Halo Infinite that probably wouldn't do well on the original Switch.