Hi-Fi Rush’s success could mean Jet Set Radio Future comes to Xbox Game Pass

HI-FI Rush was released the day it was announced, and its success has led Xbox to consider bringing more old games to Xbox Game Pass.

Many have called it the highlight of the Xbox Developer Direct that showcased five first-party games coming this year.

Not only was Hi-Fi Rush released the day of the Direct, but it was the first time the game was shown to the public.

As it launched on Xbox Game Pass directly after the showcase, fans immediately went to download and play it.

Unlike many big-budget titles, Hi-Fi Rush took a creative risk by incorporating rhythm elements into its action style gameplay.

Both the platforming and combat must be performed on the beat, something the developers feared players would find difficult to master.

However, it has been a huge hit with players, with many recommending others to play all over social media. 

This has led the CEO of Xbox Game Studios, Phil Spencer, to consider bringing a similar game back to Xbox.

Like many others, Spencer was pleased with Hi-Fi Rush’s launch.

In an interview he said: “I love Hi-Fi Rush, I love the way it looks, I love the music.”

While Xbox has a large library of games available on Game Pass from its legacy consoles, there are a few popular games that failed to launch on the service.

Many have asked for their favourites, but due to licensing or compatibility issues, it hasn’t been possible with all games.

However, Spencer seems determined to bring one fan favourite back in the wake of Hi-Fi Rush’s success.

He explained: “One of the games I’d always wanted to get, we weren’t able to land it in our backward compatibility program, was Jet Set Radio Future. 

“I thought it would be fantastic to be able to have that game back, and definitely, it’s a different kind of game, but [has] some of the same vibe.”

It’s unclear if Xbox can make this work, but Spencer appears to want to bring back more classic games in the future.

Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.