Xbox Game Pass On Switch Hinted By Epic Vs. Apple Documents

Redacted documents from the Epic vs. Apple trial hint at the possibility of Xbox Game Pass coming to the Nintendo Switch. Xbox and Nintendo have briefly partnered in the past, most notably with Minecraft cross-play between Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, as well as the main character's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. At Microsoft’s Game Stack event earlier this year, a Nintendo Switch appeared in the background of a presentation, leading fans to speculate that a partnership between the brands is brewing.

Xbox Game Pass is a continuing presence in the gaming news cycle. Many Bethesda games joined the subscription service following Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media, the owner of Bethesda Softworks. Future Bethesda games, like Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI, will also likely join the Game Pass library when they release. Another surprising addition was MLB The Show 21 in April. MLB The Show was formerly a PlayStation exclusive franchise, so adding a PlayStation staple to Game Pass was a stunning strategy for the Xbox brand. Game Pass continues to evolve and update with more game offerings, and it appears that it may find its way to other platforms.

As reported by Axios Gaming Reporter Stephen Totilo, documents from the Epic vs. Apple trial suggest the possibility that Xbox Game Pass may come to the Nintendo Switch. The documents specifically highlight the deposition of Vice President of Xbox Business Development Lori Wright. Nintendo claimed these sections of the deposition "reflect...competitively sensitive information about negotiations between Nintendo and Microsoft." After a large redacted section, Wright responds to a question asking who was involved in ongoing discussions, presumably about some sort of negotiations in the removed portion. Wright answered, “Primarily the Game Pass content team and other members of the gaming leadership team.”

Wright was mostly asked about Microsoft’s attempts to launch xCloud on iOS devices. The first document initially showcases a line of questioning about bringing game streaming to mobile devices. After Wright was asked why she was involved with bringing xCloud to other devices, the remaining portions of the documents are entirely redacted. There is no direct mention of Nintendo in the documents, so it appears that the redacted sections may discuss the negotiations between Microsoft and Nintendo given Nintendo’s comment.

Though large chunks of the documents are redacted, it appears that Wright may have addressed partnerships between Microsoft and Nintendo. Given that Wright discussed xCloud and the Game Pass content team, it seems plausible that Xbox might be working with Nintendo to get its game subscription service on the Switch. Game Pass has been a notable policy directive for the Xbox Brand, amassing a huge audience of Xbox fans. If Microsoft is able to get Xbox Game Pass or xCloud on the Nintendo platform, then the service will surely skyrocket to even greater heights.

The release of the next generation of consoles isn’t the only thing gamers have to look forward to, as Sony recently announced its new service, PS Plus Collection, which will give gamers on PS5 access to a variety of PS4 titles as soon as the consoles launch on November 12th. It will only be available in select countries, including Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea. It’s been confirmed that it won’t be available in China.