Genshin Impact will finally make it to Xbox later this year. HoYoverse revealed the free-to-play anime RPG will get ported in November, though a Switch version of the hit game remains MIA years after its release on smartphones and PS5.
The open-world action-RPG will arrive on Xbox Series X/S on November 20, a few months after its 5.0 update on August 28 adds more locations in Natlan and new characters Mualani, Kinich, and Kachina. Genshin Impact originally came out on mobile, PC, and PS4 in 2020, jumpstarting miHoYo’s live service domination with its fun combat and multiplayer co-op married to free-to-play gacha mechanics and microtransaction-laden in-game economy.
MiHoYo also released Honkai: Star Rail in 2023 and Zenless Zone Zero this July, both of which are equally beautiful and based on similar business models, but haven’t quite recaptured the magic of Genshin Impact. Both of those games are still PS5 console exclusives as well.
What about a Nintendo Switch version? The developer last acknowledged its planned port of Genshin Impact for the handheld hybrid console in 2022 after it was officially announced two years previously. “The Switch version is still in development, and we will release more information as we progress further along,” a representative for miHoYo said at the time. It’s unclear if that’s still in the works or indefinitely delayed. At this point it seems unlikely that a Switch version of Genshin Impact arrives before the official unveiling of a Switch 2.
The game recently came under fire for accusations of whitewashing its African and Latino-inspired characters in Natlan. It’s been a reoccurring controversy with fans, and even some of Genshin Impact’s own voice actors have called on miHoYo to do a better job of showing appreciation for the cultural inspirations it draws on.
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