Could we see Xbox Games Pass on the Nintendo Switch? Recent rumors from the YouTube channel Direct-Feed Games suggests so. We've seen Microsoft and Nintendo increasingly cozy up over the past year or so, as the Switch console continues selling millions per year and both parties see the business sense of cross-party collaboration and play. We previously reported on Microsoft's plans to bring its Xbox Live service to mobile devices and Nintendo's console – with a mind "to incorporate Xbox Live’s suite of game achievements, matchmaking, social systems and more in their games and devices." The latest rumors suggest we could see an official Xbox app that also packs in access to Xbox Games Pass , Microsoft's Netflix-style streaming service for games – and support for Microsoft's Project xCloud technology, that will allow those games to be streamed to any number of Windows PCs and portable devices. In the video below, Direct-Feed claims: "Microsoft will further their ambitions of expanding their reach to consumers beyond the Xbox ecosystem, by introducing an Xbox app for the Nintendo Switch, that will allow use of Games Pass and support Project xCloud." Going soft The Switch console doesn't exactly have a lot of third-party apps to its name: right now it only support YouTube, Inkypen, and Hulu, and is largely considered to be focusing on its primary function as a gaming machine. But considering the two gaming companies' warming relationship – such as their commitment to more cross-play across their respective consoles – it's not an entirely outlandish idea. Some titles on Xbox Games Pass could struggle to run well on the Switch's inferior processor, and wouldn't be able to match the 4K capabilities of the Xbox One X. However, a new upgraded Switch model could amend that. Nintendo and Microsoft have also both been experimenting with cloud gaming, which outsources the hard work of processing to an external server, while using a respective screen or console just to display the output. So support for Project xCloud, Microsoft's grand vision for a streaming platform, may be the most likely part of the whole thing. We have reached out to Nintendo for comment.<doc-sep>Start transforming your game’s economy and increase your bottom line. Get the free guide now. Elevate your enterprise data technology and strategy at Transform 2021. Microsoft is prepping its Xbox Game Pass and xCloud streaming service for the Nintendo Switch, according to a Direct Feed Games report. Direct Feed Games has a reputation for getting Nintendo rumors right, which is why so many people are taking this seriously. But while this deal may be in the works, it doesn’t quite add up as someone looking at it from the outside. And there’s one reason it doesn’t make a lot of sense: Nvidia. Nintendo and Microsoft are chummy with each other — especially compared to Sony’s relationship with either company. Microsoft’s Minecraft and Xbox Live are already on Switch, which enables crossplay with PC and Xbox One. But that relationship doesn’t compare to the partnership between Nintendo and Nvidia. Nintendo would partner with Nvidia first Nintendo is using Nvidia’s Tegra system-on-a-chip to power the Switch. And Nvidia chief executive officer Jensen Huang said that the two companies are in a deal that is going to last a long time. “I think this is a relationship that will likely last two decades,” Huang told investors during a conference call in November. “And I’m super-excited about it.” And Nvidia is not just a hardware vendor to Nintendo. The two gaming supergiants are also working together on software projects as well. Most notably, Nintendo is lending first-party Wii games to Nvidia to release on its Shield TV Android box in China. This means that Nvidia is actually getting the games up and running on Android, and it is in charge of releasing them in that territory. The point here is that Nvidia and Nintendo are like this — I’m crossing my fingers. You can’t see it, but just go ahead and imagine that my fingers are crossed right now. Nvidia already has a cloud-streaming service So here’s the problem with Microsoft bringing Game Pass and xCloud to the Switch. If Nintendo is open to the possibility of bringing other cloud-streaming platforms to the Switch, why wouldn’t it go with the company it is already in a long-term relationship with? Nvidia’s GeForce Now is a game-streaming service for current triple-A games. It is live on the Shield TV, which has a very similar Tegra chip to the Switch’s. It likely wouldn’t take too much effort to get it working on Nintendo’s hybrid handheld/home console. So then why isn’t it on the Switch? Does Nintendo just not want cloud streaming on its device? Well, we know that’s not the case. You can already get Phantasy Star Online 2, Resident Evil 7, and Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey on the Switch in Japan, but they don’t run natively on the system. Instead, the system streams those games from a server. So if Nintendo is open to streaming games, but it has not worked with Nvidia to release GeForce Now on the Switch, then what is going on? And why would it suddenly welcome Xbox Game Pass? A Nintendo streaming service One reason I think that Nintendo wouldn’t want to offer GeForce Now on Switch is because it would hand over too much power to Nvidia. Especially because GeForce Now is not some huge, established platform. Instead, why wouldn’t Nintendo just offer its own streaming option powered by Nvidia. That’s something that the company may want to consider — especially since it’s looking for ways to bolster the Switch’s online service. “It is critical that these [Nintendo Switch Online] members want to continue using the service for a long time rather than letting it expire,” Nintendo president Furukawa told investors in March. “And for that, we need to build relationships with consumers and enrich the content. With this in mind, we are currently planning ways to boost the appeal of the service on a yearly basis. We will announce more details as soon as we are ready.” Obviously, Tetris 99 is part of that effort, but maybe access to a Nintendo Now streaming program is as well. None of this means that Game Pass and xCloud won’t come to Switch. And if it does, maybe it will only include Microsoft-published games. Which makes more sense than creating a competing way to play third-party games. But regardless, I would expect something to happen with Nvidia first.<doc-sep>Nintendo Switch: Over 1,000 games available to play FREE for the biggest new releases, reviews and tech hacks SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up forfor the biggest new releases, reviews and tech hacks When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Nintendo Switch fans could see their games library get boosted in 2019 by the shock launch of Xbox Games Pass. Rumours are circulating that exclusive Microsoft games will be playable on the Nintendo Switch via Xbox Game Pass. The rumours were revealed in a post by Direct Feed Games, who have a strong track record when it comes to Nintendo rumours. Microsoft are also reportedly set to leverage their Project xCloud streaming service to bring resource-hungry Xbox One games to the Nintendo Switch. For instance, while the Nintendo Switch may struggle to natively play a game like Gears of War 5, it could be playable if streamed over the internet. This isn’t unheard of, with other titles such as Resident Evil 7 and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey available to stream on the Switch in Japan. It’s also rumoured that Microsoft could bring actual ports to the Switch besides the Xbox Games Pass launch. The specific game that was mentioned by Direct Feed Games was Ori and the Blind Forest. Nintendo Switch games update - Xbox Games Pass coming in 2019? Shock rumours GameInformer sources said the Xbox Games Pass reveal could happen as soon as this year. Such a partnership between two of the leading players in the console wars is unheard of. It remains to be seen if other Microsoft properties will arrive on the Switch, and vice-vera. The news comes after it was previously teased that Xbox Live is coming to the Nintendo Switch. Danny McBride promotes new Xbox game pass<doc-sep>
Microsoft is teaming up with Nintendo to bring its popular Xbox Game Pass and other Xbox content to the Switch, according to the latest whispers. While that might sound like unlikely, it actually makes a lot of sense. Bringing a subscription service like Xbox Game Pass to the Nintendo Switch is really no different than any other monthly subscription service – like Netflix, or Spotify – supporting the new console. Since the Nintendo Switch can be played on-the-go via the built-in six-inch touchscreen display – something the Xbox One isn't capable of – it could reach an entirely new group of paying consumers. The traditional, territorial approach to games consoles, with exclusive titles and no cross-play between rival machines, is starting to change. Fortnite players on the Nintendo Switch can already take on Xbox One owners in online multiplayer. Sony Playstation boss Shawn Layden recently suggested these developments confirmed we are living in a "post-console world" where the community is less divided by console rivalries. The rumour of the entire Xbox Games Pass making its way onto the Nintendo Switch comes courtesy of Direct Feed Gaming. The YouTube channel has a solid track record when it comes to reporting as-yet unannounced developments in gaming. According to the rumour, Microsoft is in talks to bring the entirety of its Xbox Game Pass library to the Nintendo Switch. These titles can be accessed via streaming to anyone who pays the £7.99 a month subscription. Direct Feed Gaming also suggests Microsoft is also working to port full titles onto the Switch as standalone games which can be bought outside of the monthly subscription service. The latest rumour follows an earlier report which suggested that Microsoft was looking into the possibility of bringing its popular in-game achievements, social tools, and multiplayer functionality from Xbox Live to the Nintendo Switch. First spotted by Windows Central, the revelation comes courtesy of a schedule for the Game Developers Conference (GDC), which will be held March 18 - 22, 2019. According to the GDC schedule, Microsoft plans to introduce a new cross-platform development kit that will connect to two billion devices worldwide to Xbox Live. It's unclear whether Xbox One Games Pass could also be part of the announcement, or whether this is something we'e likely to see at E3, which will take place between June 11 - June 14, 2019. As always, it's worth taking these new rumours with a healthy pinch of salt. But with GDC and E3 on the horizon, it shouldn't be long before we find out if there is any truth to the whispers.