Xbox Cloud Gaming may never come to Nintendo Switch — is this a missed opportunity?

Nintendo Switch Console
(Image credit: Unsplash)

With Microsoft recently testing out its eagerly anticipated Xbox Cloud Gaming on iOS devices and web browsers, the popular service will be available on virtually all platforms. Well, except for the Nintendo Switch.

According to co-founder of Astris Advisory Japan KK, David Gibson, Nintendo has no plans to put any other streaming service on the Nintendo Switch, which includes Xbox's cloud gaming service. 

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Responding to NPD's executive director Mat Piscatella on Twitter, Gibson, after discussing the advantages of Xbox Cloud Gaming coming to the Switch, claims Nintendo "directly" told him the company would not put any other cloud service on the system.

This doesn't come as too much of a surprise. Nintendo already has its own cloud streaming service, although only for certain games. The system has recently been used on games such as Control Ultimate Edition and Hitman 3. It has also been used to bring Resident Evil 7 and Assassin's Creed Odyssey to users in Japan.

However, this is nothing compared to the extensive list of games on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Nintendo has made no official statement about bringing other cloud services to the Switch, but we can imagine the company wouldn't want to bring one of its main competitors in the gaming industry to its own system.

Both Gibson and Piscatella say this is a missed opportunity because having an Xbox app on the Switch would be a "slam dunk where everyone wins." There's certainly potential for Switch sales to soar to even further heights with Xbox Cloud Gaming involved, but the rumoured OLED Nintendo Switch Pro slated to come out later this year is already expected to bring a spike in sales.

Who wouldn't want to play Halo or Gears 5 on one of the best handheld gaming devices of all time? Well, once Xbox Cloud Gaming fully rolls out on iOS, the Backbone One game controller will offer up a similar experience.

(H/T Ubergizmo)

Darragh Murphy
Editor

Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things bizarre, which usually leads to assorted coverage varying from washing machines designed for AirPods to the mischievous world of cyberattacks. Whether it's connecting Scar from The Lion King to two-factor authentication or turning his love for gadgets into a fabricated rap battle from 8 Mile, he believes there’s always a quirky spin to be made. With a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from The University of Sheffield, along with short stints at Kerrang! and Exposed Magazine, Darragh started his career writing about the tech industry at Time Out Dubai and ShortList Dubai, covering everything from the latest iPhone models and Huawei laptops to massive Esports events in the Middle East. Now, he can be found proudly diving into gaming, gadgets, and letting readers know the joys of docking stations for Laptop Mag.