Xbox announced its first games for the Nintendo Switch, and it's not the ones you think

Recent Xbox leaks detailed the company's plans to go multi-platform, with hardware such as the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 in consideration. While the rumors were ultimately revealed to be true at the recent Nintendo Direct, most gamers expected the more popular Xbox titles (such as Hi-Fi Rush) to make their debut on Nintendo’s handheld console instead of Grounded and Pentiment.

Read on to learn more about the announcement and how it affects Xbox’s plans going forward.

Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the author’s opinions.

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Xbox announces Grounded and Pentiment for the Nintendo Switch

Grounded releases for the Switch (Image via Nintendo)

In a surprise announcement, the first Xbox game to make it to the Nintendo Switch was ultimately revealed to be Grounded. The second game to be announced for the Nintendo Direct was Pentiment. The games were showcased in the 24-minute-long Nintendo Direct, displaying bits of real-time gameplay.

Pentiment releases for the Nintendo Switch on February 22, 2024, while Grounded is set to release on April 16, 2024, for the same platform.

Pentiment releases for the Switch (Image via Obsidian Entertainment)

This announcement should come as a surprise to many, as most players were expecting the more popular first-party titles, such as Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves, to make it to the platform first.

It does, however, make sense overall that Xbox would want to dip its toes in the Nintendo Switch ecosystem with a less popular title and save blockbusters such as Hi-Fi Rush for a later release.

Hi-Fi Rush was indeed datamined for the Switch in the recently released leaks, and as such, a 2024 release should not be out of the question, along with Sea of Thieves.

Hi-Fi Rush is not available (yet) for the Switch (Image via Bethesda Softworks)

The fancier AAA exclusive titles such as Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are rather unlikely to make their way to the Switch anytime soon, however - given the underpowered nature of the console and Xbox not providing any promises for these ports, a surprise release for the rumored, upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 console is not entirely out of the cards either.

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Grounded is an action-adventure survival game that has players shrunk to the size of ants as they attempt to survive on their own - whilst simultaneously avoiding dangerous insects in the process. On the other hand, Pentiment is a narrative, 2D RPG that has players step into the shoes of Andreas Maler as they investigate a series of mysterious murders in the quiet town of Tassing. Both are solid titles that should be a great addition to the Switch’s already impressive library of third-party games.

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For more Nintendo Switch news, stay tuned to Sportskeeda.