Xbox reportedly used Palworld as example of its multiplatform ambitions

2024’s biggest runaway hit, Palworld, was reportedly shown on “every screen” at a recent Xbox town hall, as Microsoft looked to solidify its multiplatform plans amid rumors of PS5 ports for its biggest exclusives.

As February came into focus, industry-shaking rumors began to dominate social feeds across the internet. What started with Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi Rush soon covered the likes of Starfield, with rumors swirling around Halo and Gears of War to boot.

The nature of these rumors? Insiders were reporting far and wide of a seismic shift in Xbox’s strategy moving forward, hinting at a multiplatform pivot set to kick off in the very near future, with some of the above titles jumping ship to PS5 and possibly Nintendo Switch as well.

While Xbox is yet to formally address the reports, with a Business Update podcast slated for February 15, new reports are now indicating plans may be set in stone. Not only that, but higher ups even supposedly used Palworld as an example of their strategy in action.

Word comes by way of anonymous Microsoft employees in correspondence with Inverse. A town hall meeting was reportedly held on February 6 as the aforementioned rumors gained traction online.

“Every screen is an Xbox,” company President Sarah Bond reportedly said during the conversation. The idea being that in the future, tablets, TV screens, monitors, and handheld devices alike, will all be able to deliver Xbox experiences.

Exemplifying this strategy, the corporate leaders supposedly pulled up images of Palworld across a litany of devices. The surprise blockbuster hit has been a near-unstoppable behemoth to start 2024, and it’s clear Xbox backed a winner in bringing it to Game Pass right out of the gate.

Leveraging its early insight on the mega-popular title, Xbox proudly displayed Palworld during the town hall, over any other actual Xbox-owned IP.

While this strategic shift will seemingly be discussed in public view during the Xbox Business Update, the town hall reportedly looked to clarify the future of the company as a hardware manufacturer as well.

According to comments from Phil Spencer, there will indeed be “future hardware” from the Xbox brand, regardless of where its software ends up in the long run.