Xbox’s Phil Spencer wants Call of Duty on Nintendo Switch

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 recently launched on Xbox, PlayStation and PC and while that’s plenty of platforms to enjoy the blockbuster shooter on, there’s one notable console missing: Nintendo Switch. Nintendo’s hybrid console has been a surprise hit since it launched back in 2017 but much of its success is owed to first-party titles. Although the Switch definitely gets more third-party support than the prior Wii U, it still pales in comparison to the Xbox and PlayStation.

But with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 having launched, many want to know if there are plans for Activision to bring the shooter to the Nintendo Switch. Simply put, the answer is no. Hardware limitations are likely the main reason.

But what about in the future? Could future Call of Duty titles eventually be released on the Nintendo Switch?

If Microsoft’s head of gaming and Xbox Phil Spencer gets his way, and the deal to acquire Activision goes through, there’s a very real possibility that Call of Duty could be released on the Nintendo Switch in some form.

Speaking at The Wall Street Journal’s tech conference last week, Spencer addressed concerns that Microsoft acquiring Activision would result in Call of Duty becoming an Xbox exclusive. With Microsoft’s deal under review by antitrust regulators, Spencer has been open about keeping Call of Duty on PlayStation. But during the conference, he also hinted at plans to bring the franchise to Nintendo Switch.

"“I’d love to see it on the Switch, I’d love to see the game playable on many different screens. Our intent is to treat Call of Duty like Minecraft.”"

You’d have to go as far back as 2013 for the last Call of Duty title to appear on a Nintendo platforms. 2013’s Call of Duty: Ghosts and 2012’s Call of Duty: Black Ops II both were released on the Wii U. Although both games were perfectly fine on the Nintendo Wii U, they didn’t perform well at all in terms of sales. Of course, the Wii U itself also struggled with sales, so it’s no wonder third party publishers shied away from the console.

In any case, Nintendo found new life with the Nintendo Switch but the system’s hardware limitations have hampered third-party support. Switch Cloud Gaming has allowed some more graphically intensive games to come to the Nintendo Switch, which might have to be what Microsoft/Activision does with Call of Duty.