As reported by Insider Gaming, the Nintendo Switch console exclusive (also available on PC), Monster Hunter Rise is said to be coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. This current-gen version will allegedly get a “4K60” mode and “3D audio,” and both of these features will also become available on the game’s PC version. The game will drop on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as well but without the “4K60” mode, as per the head of Insider Gaming, Tom Henderson.
This report also surprisingly touts a specific release date. Monster Hunter Rise will reportedly release for PlayStation and Xbox on January 20, 2023. And that’s not all. It will supposedly also be available on Game Pass.
Henderson later confirmed via Twitter that this was an exclusive scoop from ‘The Snitch’, a Twitter user known for having some sort of insider access to video game promotional material. He’s correctly leaked multiple gaming tidbits, such as God of War Ragnarok’s release date, The Last of Us Part 1’s release date, and the existence of Silent Hill f.
Monster Hunter Rise originally released in March 2021 as a full-blown Nintendo Switch exclusive. The game eventually came to PC in January 2022, however, it’s been kept off the two other major consoles since its release. Monster Hunter Rise was, in a way, Nintendo’s Monster Hunter World, the 2018 title that eschewed a Nintendo console version, instead only launching on PlayStation and Xbox.
This was particularly odd, as Monster Hunter had notably been a Nintendo-exclusive series ever since Monster Hunter Tri released on the Wii in 2009, but it seemed as though its developer, Capcom, wanted to take advantage of the stronger performance power of the other two consoles. Nintendo did later get its exclusive with Rise, but it seems now that Capcom wants to profit from the large audiences that are present in the PlayStation and Xbox ecosystems.
The move makes sense; Rise has been a tremendous success. Even while only being available on Switch and PC, Capcom revealed back in August that the game had sold over 11 million units, making it the second highest-selling game in the franchise, behind only Monster Hunter World. If this Insider Gaming report is to be believed, the move may be slightly influenced by the Omega Force-developed Wild Hearts. This 2023-slated hunting game is looking to be a direct competitor to the Monster Hunter series and Capcom would have nothing to compete with it on current-gen consoles.