Microsoft ‘regrets’ passing on Genshin Impact for Xbox

Genshin Impact has been a huge success since its launch two years ago. In a short space of time, the game has already generated around $4 billion in revenue, and much to Microsoft's chagrin, the game is not available on Xbox. It might be too late to rectify the situation with this game, but it has forced Microsoft to be more open-minded and aggressive about future games it looks to sign for timed exclusivity, publishing or Game Pass deals. 

While there is a Switch version of Genshin Impact planned, currently, the game is only available on PlayStation consoles, in addition to PC and mobile devices. No Xbox version of Genshin Impact has been announced, and that comes down to the fact that Xbox didn't reach a deal with the studio behind the game early enough.

According to sources speaking with Reuters, Microsoft was in discussions with miHoYo early on in Genshin Impact's development, but they were unable to reach a deal, something that Microsoft “regretted” after seeing how well the game has done post-launch, particularly on the PlayStation platform.

While Microsoft missed out on a deal for Genshin Impact, the report notes that Chinese developers are looking out for Microsoft deals, in part due to the amount of money often involved, and the company's focus on crossplay multiplayer and Game Pass.

In addition to branching out into Asia, Microsoft is also currently focusing on bolstering its roster of western development studios and has a strong line-up of single-player games in the works, including The Outer Worlds 2 and Avowed from Obsidian, Starfield from Bethesda, a Fable reboot from Playground Games and more. Currently, Microsoft is attempting to acquire Activision Blizzard in a deal worth $70 billion. If this goes through, Microsoft will have ownership over some of the biggest multiplayer franchises in gaming, including World of Warcraft and Call of Duty.

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KitGuru Says: We don't often hear these ‘regret' stories, but there is no doubt that all three major console makers have passed on potential major exclusives for their platforms over the decades. 

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