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Multi-Platform
aka: Wii S 2

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"Coming this summer — on every platform ever made."
— Trailer of The Simpsons Game

Any software program, particularly a Video Game, that is simultaneously developed and (usually) simultaneously released for more than one system.

Functionally, multi-platform games differ from ports in that the game was written with the other systems in mind even during initial development.

The time and effort to make a multi-platform game is not as great as some assume. Some developers have stated that it raises the cost only about 10 percent. This can vary quite a bit depending on how differences between platforms in question are. For instance, the Xbox and PC versions of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time are quite similar; the iPhone and PS3 versions of The Force Unleashed are quite a bit different.

While multi-platform games were not uncommon during the 16-bit and 32-bit console generations, particularly among western developers, they started becoming more prevalent during the sixth console generation. Even though the PlayStation 2 was the biggest selling console of this era, games on the Xbox and GameCube still sold well enough to ensure an even bigger profit than on the PS2 alone for very little extra development. The fact that the Xbox was a functionally small PC running an embedded version of Windows didn't hurt either.

By the seventh generation multi-platform development became the norm for most third-party developers due to the ever increasing budgets in mainstream games as a result of the standardization of HD displays. Series that used to be at least timed exclusives were now multi-platform from launch, and with the Xbox brand now selling just as well internationally as the PlayStation brand this time around, even Japanese developers began making games for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Console versions of games would continue to become more and more like their PC counterparts than ever in the eighth generation. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One not only adopting the X86-64 architecture used by current PCs, leading to less disparities between the platforms and the rise of games that were "console" exclusive but still had PC version. This generation also saw the introduction of the high-performance PS4 Pro and the Xbox One X models in the second half, meaning that console developers now found themselves allowing the lead of their PC counterparts in scaling their games to fit wider arrays of hardware specifications. Microsoft would continue with the idea of offering different levels of gaming hardware in the ninth generation, with the Xbox Series X|S being low- and high-performance models from the start, while the PlayStation 5 is currently Sony's sole gaming platform.

On the note of Nintendo, ever since the underwhelming sales of the Nintendo GameCube, the company has tended to sacrifice hardware power in favour of unique hardware features to differentiate itself, meaning that multiplatform games for their systems often lack parity with same generation Xbox or PlayStation versions. If they receive ports at all, that is. The motion control-focused Wii still managed to receive multiplats despite being essentially a GameCube with an overclocked CPU and no HD output thanks to its popularity and low development costs, but these tended to either be unique versions and/or shared with the PS2 (which itself would continue to receive games until the end of the 2000s). Their next console, the tablet-focused Wii U, had graphical capabilities that rivaled and even surpassed the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and shared some multi-plat games with them early in its life. However, the other 8th competitors, the Xbox One and PS4 launched a year later and were far more powerful than the Wii U, which combined with its struggles to sell to either casual or hardcore gamers, led to most multiplatform third-party developers abandoning the system. Their current system, the "hybrid" Nintendo Switch, uses a mobile chipset for the sake of portability, once again putting them behind graphically, but its popularity and ease of development means that it manages to grab a fair number of multiplats (and unlike the Wii, none of them are reformulated games).

On the PC side of things, some games are literally multi-platform, with the versions for different platforms (say, Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) all on the same physical media (sometimes called a "hybrid" release.) This is Older Than the NES in PC-land; in the days of 5.25" floppy disks, some games were released with a version for one computer (for example, the Commodore 64) on one side, and a version for another (Apple ][, IBM PC, or Atari 8-bit) on the other. Obviously, this sort of thing doesn't fly in console-land, due to dictatorial fiat console companies have over developers (possibly carried over from the days of carts, when it was physically impossible.)

Keep in mind the difference between this and a port. If a game was made for one system first, any version past that is a port or remake, like Tetris.

It also doesn't count if the series has many different versions on each system, like DanceDanceRevolution or the Tales Series.

Compare Cash-Cow Franchise. Related to Reformulated Game, when a game is completely remade from the ground up when being released on another platform due to hardware differences.

Examples

Releases among series that usually or previously develop for one system:

  • Dark Souls, the Spiritual Successor to the PS3 exclusive Demon's Souls, launched on both the PS3 and Xbox 360 and has since been ported to the PC. It helps that the two are technically different IPs, whereas Demon's Souls is owned by Sony, Dark Souls is owned by Namco-Bandai.
  • Devil May Cry started off as a PS2-exclusive series for its first three games. However, Devil May Cry 4, which was developed on the MT Frameworks engine, debuted on both PS3 and Xbox 360, and the series has been multi-platform since then.
  • Digimon World 4 was released for the PS2, Xbox and GameCube. The earlier titles were only for the original PlayStation, and later ones were only for the Nintendo DS.
  • Final Fantasy:
  • Grand Theft Auto IV debuted simultaneously on the PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2008, despite the fact that Grand Theft Auto III and its two prequels (Vice City and San Andreas) were all first released on the PS2 and took their time to arrive on the original Xbox and PC (whereas the original top-down 2D games were both originally for PC). In fact, the two DLC campaigns for the game ("The Lost and The Damned" and "The Ballad of Gay Tony") were exclusive to the 360 for a whole year before they were available in a bundle (Episodes From Liberty City) on the PS3 and PC.
  • The Hitman games were multi-platform since the second entry (Hitman 2: Silent Assassin), but the original (Hitman: Codename 47) was and still remains a PC-exclusive.
  • Kingdom Hearts III was released on the Xbox One, as well as the PS4, despite none of the previous games in the series ever being released on an Xbox console before. Not even the first two mainline games, which were originally released on the PS2, remastered on PS3 along with some of the spinoffs (as HD 1.5 Remix and HD 2.5 Remix respectively), ported to the PS4 in a two-in-one compilation and eventually reissued in a bundle with Kingdom Hearts 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue (another compilation of spinoffs) titled Kingdom Hearts: The Story Thus Far. Whereas PS4 owners have access to practically the whole saga (or at least the essential ones), Xbox One owners are given no such luxury and are still forced to own at least one other console if they wish to experience everything that happened before III. Luckily, at X019, Square Enix announced the rest of the series was finally going to hit the Xbox One in 2020, solving this issue.
  • The Legend of Zelda:
    • Twilight Princess was developed for the GameCube, but the game was delayed to the point where Nintendo realized they could release it on the Wii at the same time and have a launch game for that system. This succeeded, as the combined sales of both versions have made it the second best-selling game in the series.note 
    • Breath of the Wild was taking too much time in development than expected, and since the Wii U was not selling well anyway, the decision was made to delay the game even further and simultaneously release it on their next platform, the Nintendo Switch. This left the Wii U in the position of being the only Nintendo home console without a unique Zelda game of its own, since its only other Zelda games were remastered ports of the two GameCube games (Wind Waker and Twilight Princess).
  • Mass Effect was originally released as an Xbox 360 exclusive in 2007, with a PC port following year. The sequel followed suit with a simultaneous Xbox 360 and PC launch in 2010, only to get a PS3 version the year after with some of the downloadable content from the previous versions already included on-disc. The third game would debut on all three aforementioned platforms (and the Wii U) in 2012, which led to the original game finally getting a PS3 port as part of a bundle with the sequels, as well as a digital download on PSN.
  • Mega Man
    • Mega Man 8 and Mega Man X4 were both released on the PlayStation and Sega Saturn after all the prior numbered entries in both series were released on the NES and Super NES.note  X5 and X6 on the other hand, were strictly PlayStation games, with X7 and X8 being released on the PS2.
    • Mega Man 9 was initially announced as a Wii-exclusive and while this was true for a while in Japan, the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions were released shortly after the Wii version in North America and Europe. Mega Man 10 on the other hand, was available on all three platforms at the same time in each region.
    • The Legacy Collections of the classic and Mega Man X series saw a release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC through Steam. The classic series' Legacy Collection also later got released on the 3DS for the first one while both games were re-released on the Nintendo Switch with added amiibo support.
    • Mega Man 11 was released on all four of the current home platforms (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam).
  • Metal Gear
    • Metal Gear Solid V was the first mainline entry in the Metal Gear franchise that was developed with multiple platforms in mind, which was the main drive behind the creation of the FOX Engine that the game was made with. Prior to this, Substance (the expanded edition of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty) was initially a timed-exclusive for the original Xbox before it was released on PS2 and PC, while the HD Collection (a compilation that contains remastered ports of Sons of Liberty, Snake Eater and Peace Walker) was released simultaneously on the PS3 and Xbox 360, but these were ports of games that were originally on the PS2 (or in case of Peace Walker, the PSP). Metal Gear Solid V was not only a multi-platform project from the get-go, but it was even released across two console generations, being announced initially for the PS3 and Xbox 360, but ultimately coming out on the PS4 and Xbox One as well. The Steam version of the stand-alone prologue (Ground Zeroes) was released several months after the console versions had already come out, but the main game (The Phantom Pain) launched on all five platforms upon its release date.
    • Prior to Metal Gear Solid V, Kojima Productions was developing a spinoff titled Metal Gear Solid: Rising in-house for both, the PS3 and Xbox 360, shortly after the PS3-exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots finished development. However, a troubled development resulted in the project being outsourced to PlatinumGames, who ended up retitling the game Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and developing it on their own engine.
  • Metal Wolf Chaos was originally an Xbox exclusive title that never left the shores of Japan due to various factors that kept from seeing a release overseas. It's remastered XD version, however, will not only be available to international audiences, but FromSoftware wanted to give newcomers that were never able to experience the game outside of various gameplay videos floating around the web, so they elected to release the game on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC (through Steam and GOG.com) for the remastered version.
  • The Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series was exclusive to PlayStation brand platforms for the longest time... until Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2, which was released for the Xbox 360 in addition to the PS3. Every new entry in the series since then had been released for both platforms.
    • In 2017, the first game in this series was ported to PS4, Xbox One, and PC, then to the Nintendo Switch in 2018 with 2 and 3.
  • Onimusha: Warlords was initially a PS2-exclusive (as were the sequels), but it did get a port for the original Xbox titled Genma Onimusha, which added some exclusive content. The 2019 remaster was released for Steam, PS4, Xbox One and Switch, but is based strictly on the PS2 original, lacking any of the Genma additions.
  • Persona:
  • The first two Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games (though technically different games, were the same in almost every way) were released for the GBA and the DS.
  • Resident Evil 5 was developed and released for both, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, from the get-go, being the first game in the series developed on Capcom's in-house MT Framework cross-platform engine. However, the first three numbered entries, while originally PlayStation games, were not necessarily made with exclusivity in mind and were subsequently ported to a variety of platforms as a result. Resident Evil 4 on the other hand, was intended to be a GameCube-exclusive, but the underwhelming sales of the console resulted in the game being a timed-exclusive instead, getting a PS2 port with added content less than a year after the GameCube original (before ultimately becoming the most ported game in the series).
    • Resident Evil – Code: Veronica was developed with the intention of being a Dreamcast-exclusive, which is part of the reason why it was not a numbered entry. However, when Sega announced the discontinuation of the Dreamcast, Capcom developed an expanded edition of the game titled Code: Veronica X, which was released on both, the PS2 and Dreamcast in Japan. Only the PS2 version of Code: Veronica X was released overseas and the game was later ported to the GameCube and eventually got a remastered release on the PS3 and Xbox 360 alongside the aforementioned RE4.
    • The Resident Evil remake, along with its prequel Resident Evil 0, actually kept their exclusivity status for quite a while, with the only versions of both games that were available for more than a decade were the GameCube originals and the later Wii ports. It wasn't until the HD Remaster editions of both games, released in 2014 and 2016 respectively, that they were made available across several non-Nintendo platforms (namely the PS3 and Xbox 360, as well as the PS4, Xbox One and Steam).
  • Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny is the only Rune Factory game to be multi-platform (on the Wii and the PS3; previous titles had been for the DS or Wii only) and the first Harvest Moon or Rune Factory to have a simultaneous multi-platform release.
  • Shadow Complex was originally an Xbox 360-exclusive download title, but its remastered re-release is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
  • Silent Hill 4: The Room was the first game in the series to be released on both, the PS2 and Xbox, at the same time. Silent Hill 2 had an Xbox port as well, but it was released a bit later than the PS2 version and had an additional scenario, which were ported back to the PS2 version for the budget reprints. Silent Hill 2 and 4 (as well as 3) were all ported to the PC as well. Later western-developed entries (namely Homecoming, Shattered Memories and Downpour) were made as multi-platform releases as well.
  • Street Fighter has gone back and forth between platform-specific ports and multi-platform releases depending on the console generation.
    • Super Street Fighter II was technically the first Street Fighter game that was ported to multiple platforms at the same time, being released on both, the Super NES and Sega Genesis. Originally Street Fighter II and Street Fighter II Turbo were released exclusively on the SNES. Sega, who were already working with Capcom on getting a port of Champion Edition (which was previously ported to the PC Engine in Japan) released on the Genesis, had their version of the game delayed in order to bring in more features when they learned about the Turbo version that was coming out on the SNES. The resulting Genesis version ended up being retitled Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition and is almost identical to Turbo in terms of content, the main difference between the two being the default game mode (both versions allow you to choose between Champion Edition and Hyper Fighting rules from the main menu).
    • The first two Street Fighter Alpha games got near-simultaneous releases on the PlayStation and Sega Saturn (with Alpha 2 in particular also getting an SNES release). Alpha 3 also came out on the Sega Saturn, but only after it was released on the PlayStation and Dreamcast and only in Japan (since the Saturn was considered a dead platform in the west by that point).
    • Street Fighter III took a while to be ported to consoles and when it was, it was only available on the Dreamcast in a two-in-one compilation that also included the second iteration, 2nd Impact. 3rd Strike was also ported to the Dreamcast at first, but came out a bit later on the PS2 and the original Xbox.
    • Street Fighter IV was released simultaneously on the PS3 and Xbox 360 a few months after the arcade release. Super Street Fighter IV, the second iteration, actually got a console release before the aptly-named Arcade Edition update.
    • Street Fighter V is a PS4-console exclusive with a release on PC as well. This is due Capcom needing financing and Sony being willing to help.
    • Street Fighter 6 is confirmed to come out for PCs, PS4, PS5, and the Xbox Series consoles.
  • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U became the first installment in the Smash series to be released for two different systems, namely the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U.
  • Tales of Arise is the first game in the Tales Series to be truly multi-platform day and date, being on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC.
  • Team Ninja is an example of a developer making exclusives for a specific console brand before going multi-platform. They started off as an arcade developer, with the first two Dead or Alive games being ported to the Sega and PlayStation consoles available at the time, but when they started making their games directly for consoles, they initially favored the Xbox over the other sixth-gen platforms. Dead or Alive 3, Xtreme Beach Volleyball and the Ninja Gaiden reboot were all exclusives to the original Xbox, while Dead or Alive 4, Xtreme 2 and Ninja Gaiden II were released for the Xbox 360. While the PS3 did get ports of the two Ninja Gaiden games in the form of the Sigma series, these were drastically altered from the Xbox originals. After director Tom Itagaki departed from Tecmo, Team Ninja started to make their games multi-platform again, with Dead or Alive 5 and Ninja Gaiden III being released on both, the PS3 and Xbox 360.
  • Tekken 6 was exempt from the series' Sony leash and allowed to be released on the Xbox 360 as well as the PS3.
  • The Witcher 3 launched simultaneously on PC, PS4 and Xbox One, despite the first two Witcher games being strictly for PC (although The Witcher 2 did saw an Xbox 360 port a year after its release).
  • Yakuza
    • Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin, 0 and Kiwami were all cross-gen titles in Japan, being released on both, PS3 and PS4. But when Sega decided to bring over 0 and Kiwami to the west (skipping over Ishin), they decided to localize only the PS4 versions. Both games were later ported to Steam and later on the Xbox One (via Game Pass) alongside Kiwami 2 (which was originally a PS4-exclusive, even in Japan), eventually leading to Xbox and Steam ports of the remastered versions of Yakuza 3 through 5 that were available on PS4, as well as Yakuza 6, making then entire series (at least the mainline entries) available on all the main platforms.
    • The western-localized versions of Yakuza: Like a Dragon was released on the Xbox One (with Xbox Series X support) and on PC (via Steam) in addition to the PS4. This version was re-localized for the Japanese market as Ryu Ga Gotoku 7 International.
  • Various crowd-funded video games from sites such as Kickstarter and IndieGoGo sometimes offer multi-platform releases as stretch goals on said projects.

Titles or series notable for being multi-platform:

Alternative Title(s): PS 360, Wii S 2, PS Wii 60

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