Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft Gaming, mentioned that the video game console market isn’t really expanding.
Spencer explained to Rolling Stone that while they appreciate their console fans, growing Xbox means focusing on PCs, cloud gaming, and getting their games out to more places. He said, “The console space all up isn’t growing, across all of them [Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo]. We love those customers, but in terms of continuing to expand and grow Xbox, it’s about PC, it’s about cloud, and it’s about making our games more available in more places.”
Don’t worry, Microsoft isn’t ditching consoles entirely. They still plan to make new ones in the future, along with some other gadgets. Spencer hinted that an exciting next-gen Xbox is on the way, boasting the “largest technical leap” ever for Xbox. Plus, there might be a handheld Xbox device coming in a few years.
Sometimes we get confused about what will come next and how it will look like.
Spencer also mentioned that Microsoft isn’t keen on making a mid-gen Xbox upgrade like Sony’s PS5 Pro. He questioned, “We don’t need to do incremental hardware for our own benefit. Does a new device really give you a unique experience on screen in some way?”
Back in the day, the jump from the original Xbox to the Xbox 360 was huge in terms of graphics and speed. But now, it’s not as easy to see how much better new hardware is just by looking at it.
With the new “This Is An Xbox” campaign, Microsoft wants everyone to know that Xbox isn’t just a box under your TV anymore. Your phone, your TV, and lots of other devices can be Xboxes because you can play Xbox games and use Game Pass on them. Spencer admitted that some people still like having just one simple box for everything. However, he pointed out, “Today’s largest games are bigger than any of the individual platforms.”
He concluded by saying that Xbox should be about the games, the characters, and the worlds they create, not just the device itself. “That’s how we think about Xbox today,” he said.
