Valheim has just made its long awaited console debut, roughly two years after the Viking survival sim made waves on PC in 2021. The console port seems pretty solid too, at least in its opening hours, with both Xbox versions containing smooth performance modes.
As it turns out, Xbox was seemingly instrumental in getting this game on console in the first place. After Valheim spent some time in early access on PC, Microsoft expressed interest in bringing the game to Xbox Series X and S - as detailed in a developer interview on the XEP Podcast.
Here's what Jonathan Smårs of Iron Gate Studios had to say during the chat:
"At some point I think they [Xbox] reached out and were interested in seeing this on the Microsoft platforms. I don't actually know the details on that."
As seen in the quote there, the dev doesn't know the details on any sort of agreement between the Valheim publishing team and Microsoft. However, for now, Iron Gate Studios is not planning any other console versions of the title, although that could change in future.
"Currently we're only looking at the Xbox. But, you never know."
Whether there's any sort of exclusivity deal in place or not, Valheim is a great get for Xbox Game Pass, especially on day one of the game's console release. If you feel like giving this one a go, it's a quick and easy download - coming in at under 2GB of data on Xbox Series X|S.