Xbox head Phil Spencer believes AAA titles like Starfield and Spider-Man 2 could be released on mobile but are prevented from doing so by platform holders.
The two titles are massive exclusives for Xbox and PlayStation respectively heading into the final months of 2023 but are limited in their audience due to exclusivity deals.
Xbox’s ongoing alliance with PC means that Starfield will be available on both console and PC on launch, though will not be released on PlayStation, while Spider-Man 2 releases on PS5 and will likely head to PC at a later date.
Mammoth AAA titles like those are never really considered as possibilities for mobile devices, though Spencer believes they have the capability to do so—but “platform holders don’t let us put games there”.
Spencer told Eurogamer at Gamescom that he feels that the likes of Starfield could be played on mobile via streaming and adds that he believes it is important for players to have the choice to play in whatever way they want to, even though the best gameplay experience will come on console or PC.
Xbox’s drive to get games in the hands of players in a variety of ways has been showcased by Game Pass, with many titles launching on day one on the subscription service and also available on PC.
Spencer clearly feels the days of the console wars are behind us and wants to innovate with other platforms and creators, although that may not be an attitude shared by everyone in the industry.
If something does work out, then games like Starfield and Spider-Man 2 on mobile could be a real possibility.
