With one surprising exclusion, the remaster will be available on the Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S.
Update (September 13, 2022): Microsoft has confirmed that Xbox will not support online play for GoldenEye 007.
What you must understand
In today’s Nintendo Direct, it was finally announced that the suspected GoldenEye 007 remake will be released.
In a tweet, Rare announced that Rare Replay would be available on Xbox Game Pass.
Better visuals and split-screen local multiplayer will be part of the remaster, but there won’t be any online multiplayer for the Xbox version.
After months of rumours, conjecture, and a leaked accomplishments list, Rare has now officially announced the release of a GoldenEye 007 remaster. A long-awaited official trailer for the game debuted during today’s Nintendo Direct. This was followed by a tweet from Xbox studio Rare revealing the game will also be available on Xbox Game Pass. The lack of online multiplayer for the Xbox version, which has been confirmed for the Nintendo Switch, is not mentioned in the tweet, though.
25 years after its original release, experience GoldenEye 007 faithfully recreated for Xbox consoles. Includes achievements, 4K resolution and a smoother framerate – even in split-screen local multiplayer! Coming soon to @XboxGamePass. pic.twitter.com/kpBlJKqFR9
— Rare Ltd. (@RareLtd) September 13, 2022
Improved graphics, a faster framerate, and native 16:9 4K resolution on Xbox will all be included in the remaster. Although online multiplayer has only been confirmed for the Nintendo release so far, local split-screen multiplayer will also be available for up to four players. A system-level feature on Nintendo Switch Online makes it possible for any vintage game from the N64 library with local multiplayer functionality to function online via virtualized emulation.
Although a release date has not yet been established, this announcement, which comes 25 years after the first release, will delight fans because it verifies all the rumours that have been going around for months. The fact that the online multiplayer is essentially a Nintendo Switch exclusive has somewhat diminished the news. It would require extra expenditures in the Xbox backward compatibility system, which has been put on hold at least temporarily, in order to add online virtualized multiplayer functionality to older Xbox titles.
The odd rights arrangement for the GoldenEye 007 video game IP between Microsoft and Nintendo suggests that it was not a simple task to translate the game to contemporary platforms. Despite the fact that Nintendo and Sony are rivals in the console business, Phil Spencer has previously stated that he has “a tonne of respect” for Nintendo. This is one of several recent collaborations between the two studios, with Rare’s Banjo-Kazooie arriving on Nintendo Switch Online this year.
The absence of internet play in the GoldenEye 007 remake for Xbox has been confirmed by a Microsoft representative.
While there are no plans to include online multiplayer as part of GoldenEye 007 on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox is focused on bringing this title to players in the way they fondly remember, including local multiplayer mode, allowing up to four players to take to the couch in a battle of wits and skill, the spokesperson said. “Xbox is excited to bring GoldenEye 007 to Xbox Game Pass for the very first time – a faithful recreation of a much-loved and iconic title
