Summary
- Genshin Impact faced backlash for Zelda similarities prior to launch but now thrives as a global hit RPG.
- Xbox users will finally get a taste of Genshin Impact on Nov 20, 2024, after PlayStation console exclusivity.
- Success on Xbox could open gates for more gacha games to enter the platform, challenging Sony's hold.
When Genshin Impact was first unveiled at ChinaJoy 2019, it drew a lot of attention from the gaming community worldwide, but not for the right reasons. At the time, the open-world action RPG from Chinese developer HoYoverse was criticized by many for its apparent similarities to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in terms of both art style and gameplay design, leading to some even labeling it as an outright ripoff. However, after Genshin Impact came out in September 2020, the discussions surrounding the game became increasingly positive . The title not only surpassed the expectations of many skeptical gamers upon its release, but it also became an immediate breakout hit worldwide.
Though Genshin Impact was a worldwide phenomenon from the very start, it wasn't available on every platform. When the title made its debut in 2020, it was a PlayStation console exclusive, since it was only released on Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, and Windows. However, during Gamescom 2024 earlier this week, HoYoverse announced that Genshin Impact would finally make the jump to Xbox Series X/S on November 20, 2024. Although it is disappointing that has taken so long for the game to hit the platform, Genshin's release on Xbox consoles is still a huge deal nonetheless, as the title will fill a major gap in the library of games available within Microsoft's ecosystem.
Genshin Impact Leak Reveals Primogem Count for Version 5.0
Version 5.0 is expected to yield a lot of Primogems, as a recent chart outlines the number of wishes that Genshin Impact players will be able to get.
Genshin Impact Coming to Xbox Consoles is a Big Deal
Gacha Games Have Consistently Skipped Xbox in the Past
Besides Genshin Impact, there are several other popular gacha games that have come out over the last few years. 2021, for instance, saw the launch of Tower of Fantasy, a free-to-play open-world RPG that featured co-op support and MMO gameplay elements. Meanwhile, the turn-based sci-fi role-playing game Honkai: Star Rail was released by HoYoverse in 2023. As for 2024, on the other hand, both the post-apocalyptic ARPG Zenless Zone Zero and the Kuro Games-developed open-world title Wuthering Waves have launched this year so far.
Outside of the fact that they're free-to-play and share similar gameplay elements, these aforementioned titles all have one major aspect in common: they're PlayStation console exclusives. Even though Tower of Fantasy, Honkai: Star Rail, Zenless Zone Zero, and Wuthering Waves are live service games that can benefit greatly from being on as many platforms as possible, these titles have only been released or are scheduled to be released on PS5. Xbox and Nintendo Switch versions of the aforementioned gacha games are sadly nowhere in sight. This is likely the result of exclusivity contracts that publishers like HoYoverse and Perfect World Entertainment have signed with Sony.
Genshin Impact's Potential Success on Xbox Could Lead to More Gacha Games on the Platform
Thanks to Sony's aggressive exclusivity push with Chinese developers, the gacha game genre on Xbox is virtually non-existent. This is a major issue for Microsoft's platform, considering that many of these titles are some of the largest and most popular in the entire industry. At the very least, however, when Genshin Impact does make its way to Xbox Series X/S later this year, it may mark a turning point for the future of Xbox and gacha games. If HoYoverse's open-world RPG does find success on Xbox, then it may lead to more gacha games coming to Microsoft's consoles in the near future, such as Zenless Zone Zero and Honkai: Star Rail. For the time being, though, Genshin Impact will provide Xbox players with an experience that is currently hard to find on the platform.
Genshin Impact
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
- Released
- September 28, 2020
- ESRB
- Teen / Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
- Publisher(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Cross Save
- All platforms
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, iOS, Android
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action, Adventure, Gacha, Open-World
