Microsoft Is Now Advertising Pretty Much Every Gaming Device As An Xbox

And there is the future off Xbox right there.

No need for a console any more.

Oh god, it’s XBoxes all the way down! Xboxception!!!

@Medic_alert Thanks, I hate it!

I’ll be the first to say I’m loving this. I think cloud gaming is the future and I’m waiting for the cloud enhancements that Pure Xbox talked about earlier (better bitrate, the ability to stream the games you own etc). I do feel like I own an Xbox, while only using xCloud on an Amazon Fire tv stick. Just completed Black Ops 6 that way and looking forward to playing Stalker 2 on xCloud as well. Once Sony makes the same possible with Playstation games I’m going to stop buying hardware altogether.

It's amazing to actually see marketing of any kind for Xbox tbf.

@gollumb82 Til you have an internet outage, then that owned hardware might look a bit more desirable…

@dskatter
Or a power outage and a console will be useless as well. I’m not fussed about that. Got an unlimited mobile internet to use for such instances.

We are all Xboxes

I just realized my toaster you guessed it is also an Xbox ha but at least they are advertising now!

Feels like they've been driving towards this for a while, but it's weird to see it come to fruition.

Also, Xbox is just the friends we made along the way.

@gollumb82 What if you're mobile network is down aswell 😭

@Medic_alert Console is a PIECE of the pie, not the entire pie. It still needs to exist for those who simply can't let go, but I think a lot of people will realize not being attached to a plastic box is pure freedom.

@Ricky-Spanish
I’ll just wait 🙂 I’m a patient man, lol. I get I’m in the minority here, but I feel that if and when cloud gaming takes over, Microsoft will be way ahead of Sony in this regard.

Good to see some advertising.

It may currently be a much worse way to play for many.

But it’s good to see they have hired a new marketing team.

@themightyant well that depends what you mean.

I believe there will be physical, local boxes for the forseeable future. Do I think they continue to come from Microsoft? Debatable, but personally I doubt it.

They just don't sell enough to make it worthwhile. I suspect the plan is an eco-system that drags in players on all devices but their 'box' will simply be a PC.

I'm not even sure the name Xbox will be a thing for much longer.

@TheEstablishment A shrinking piece for MS and one that is stagnating for Sony.

@gollumb82 Perhaps in overall infrastructure (Microsoft has Azure servers everywhere these days), but Sony seems to have the better streaming tech as it can do 4K/HDR while xCloud still seems to be stuck at 1080p.

Nvidia is killing it in the streaming department, though. GeForce Now is darn-near "local" at this point. It can 4K HDR/240 with incredibly low input lag.

Microsoft is supposed to be the leader in cloud, but, the way I see it, it's 3rd in the Cloud gaming department from a technical perspective.

Hopefully this new marketing will help push Microsoft's cloud tech further than the others because it's a pretty big gamble to do this and not have the more advanced tech to back it up!

@GamingFan4Lyf
Yeah, I looked into Geforce Now and even if it can do 4K/ HDR its library is limited and you have to buy the games. If it could play all my Steam games I’d probably switch to GFN, though. I play xCloud games in 1080p/60 and with Dolby Vision/Atmos. That’s more than enough for me and Game Pass has a decent enough library with Day One Xbox games like BO6, Stalker 2 and Indy. I’ve honestly given up on the idea of buying games, unless I really want to have a digital licence lol.

This needs to be the future. PC is so much more appealing than any of the home consoles because my library is natively available on the desktop, laptops, my Steam deck, my Rog Ally, etc. The idea of only being able to play wherever the big box is plugged in is just not attractive anymore. I enjoy playing on the couch on the big TV but being limited to only that is terrible.

I want to see the full xbox experience on the Xbox pc app. Digital purchases and all.

I read this on an Xbox!

So Xbox sales are good now then. 🤣

Since they also included the actual xbox console in the ads I am not worried. I am actually thinking down the road its pretty cool to have PC + xbox + handheld combo with same games that you buy once and same GP sub. People miss the point that MS is trying to tell us and instead return to console wars.

Xbox are advertising? Whatever next!?

@themightyant to be honest I just don't believe them.

The changes of direction and emphasis at Xbox are coming thick and fast and the new console statements may change just as quickly.

And it matters now because players put a lot of time and money into a platform and if there is a risk it is going to become something I'm not interested in (cloud gaming) or go away all together, I don't want to put another penny into it.

It's a massive shame to feel this way because I have been team green for ages and even when the PS4 seemed the only way to go I still had to have an Xbox as well. Now, I just can't take that chance.

They need a native Steam Deck app and make Cloud Gaming available in more regions

Totally lame. They could have spent that money to try and sell a few more consoles instead.

The fgc says get in the bin.

They missed an absolute gag "this is an eggbox"

@gollumb82 cloud gaming has a future for those that subscribe to the internet of everything and those that like the modern non ownership model.

@BacklogBrad there is surely a market for what you describe. Just as there is a market for those that want consoles. Hence Nintendo and Sony doing well with hardware. These types of models can coexist. Just like PC can coexist with consoles. People won’t jump to PC in masse for gaming. My young nephews always mention PlayStation as do their friends. MS will do decent with those whom like their affordable subscriptions.

@Vaako007
That pretty much describes me, yeah. Again, I’m aware I’m in the minority but this minority will be growing in numbers as time goes by. Also, you don’t own digital games either and pretty soon physical games will simply become extinct.

@gollumb82 there clearly is a market for different ways to play games. Nothing wrong with companies adapting to this because of technology. I just hope that MS at least has a hardware presence even if the xbox hardware becomes a PC lite. I think there still will be a niche market for physical games. As Sony and others still out version X on discs when they are launched. I’ll be more than willing to pay the premium because I do with 4k UHD Blu-ray’s.

LMAO!
Holidays are here, so let's advertise why you shouldn't buy an actual Xbox...yikes

I’m an Xbox, you’re an Xbox. We’re all an Xbox!

This seems like the inevitable that many of us have been discussing for years now (a theory that used to draw a lot of hate online, including here).

I think it’s fantastic though, and it feels like a sign that MS has finally figured out a direction for the brand and are taking it seriously.

MS sees the writing on the wall: they can’t compete in the console space. And while Sony’s a hardware company and that’s its edge, MS is a software one and they’re finally playing up to their strength. I feel like the future will be like the past: sure, MS will sell you a laptop or tablet if you like, but they mostly want you using windows regardless of the device. Similarly, they’ll still make affordable Xbox consoles, but they really just want you buying their games — on PC, phone, or even PS5 or Switch 2.

Just please Microsoft: now that you’ve seemingly charted a course (the marketing tells me this is serious), please don’t change on a dime again in a month. You’ve got a plan, now just commit and crush it.

This is a PS5.
This is an Xbox

Sorry just had to.

I remember saying they were going to do this, what, a year ago? Two years ago?

People thought it was crazy, now look where we are.

They can't advertise their own games to save their lives but when it comes to trying to get people to stop buying an Xbox they'll do all the advertising they possibly can.

This is an Xbox*

• If you have awesome internet speeds and are lucky to live really close to an azure data centre.

It's just not there in the UK yet. Nice option, but awful for us actual gamers who notice lag and stutter. But as others have said, nice to see Xbox doing some marketing 🤣

I'm all for it. Makes a lot more sense nowadays than the old strategy.
I hope they won't do a complete u-turn in a years time though

@Vaako007 I think kids are the biggest reason home console only is not going to be a long term solution. They are growing up on tablets, phones, switches, etc. I don't think they like the idea of something that is so restricted.

Sure there will still be home consoles sold (even by xbox) but I think all 3 will incorporate more compatibility between multiple devices or offer a hybrid style device like nintendo already is doing. Sony is rumored to be working on a pc app/storefront with cross entitlements with Playstation purchases (day 1 pc releases!).

Plus, with the lawsuits in the phone industry ruling that Apple and Google can't restrict the devices to only their store front have me thinking that it's only a matter of time before we start seeing the gamings platforms storefronts available in a lot of places. Maybe even on each other's devices.

This is awesome. After selling my used Xbox, it seems I still happen to have a few now. Honestly, it might be hard to run out of Xboxes.

Is my Nintendo switch an Xbox?

@xxk7xx @xxk7xx LOL, you missed the point entirely. The console is just one piece of a whole Xbox pie. They want consumers to know that. Selling plastic boxes is a small piece of the business.

wish they'd have done with a different name or something. they really shouldn't be denouncing their platform so much an should've been saying how it supports the platform. make people think their library can be anywhere instead of "my phone is the equivalent of an xbox".

Thats actually a terrible way to do this.

@AgentGuapo Forget about that, I want to know if my Alarmo is an Xbox.

No thanks. I don't want everything to be an Xbox, what kind of sad electronics world is that.

@gollumb82 I'm not saying Microsoft doesn't have a future in cloud gaming or taking this route, I'm just saying Microsoft really needs to step up its cloud gaming technologically if it really wants to put xCloud at the forefront - because it's lagging behind in both image quality and input latency (when one would think Microsoft, of all the companies, would be the leader in Cloud as much as Microsoft has invested).

This is reminding me of Apple's "What's a computer?", and that's not a good thing.

Let's see if they stick with it. 🤷‍♂️

@GamingFan4Lyf
No worries mate. I’m no fanboy and if I can find a better service I just go elsewhere 🙂 I can agree that xCloud isn’t perfect and there’s room for improvement. I hope MS puts in the work necessary to make xCloud better and more reliable.

@TheGameThrifter When they announced Indy for the holidays on Xbox, there was about 15 accidental seconds of them trying to push Xbox sales for the holiday. Then they immediately announced PS5 also coming in spring, negating any reason to buy an Xbox. It wasn't an accident. They're stupid, but not that stupid.

They want this side of the business to go away. (Their wrongheaded thinking is) They're tired of selling subsidized hardware to people who don't even buy games anyway, they all just sub to gamepass. Why blow $100+ on every consumer when they could just get those people to use their own phones? No one on Xbox in any real numbers buys games anymore, whenever we see cross platform sales comparisons they're abysmal on Xbox, so their platform holder revenue for game sales has shrunk to nothing. They're so done with all this.

@Coletrain Thats the biggest issue with streaming imo, I am also UK based and our internet is just not there in a lot of areas and even if you can get amazing speeds the costs are so high that its not really worth it.

I get companies feel streaming is the future, but as long as consoles exist I reckon they will be dominant for a long time compared to cloud stuff.

@Ilyn totally agree mate. I think the azure centres in the UK are London and Cardiff (I'm nowhere near either) so I just never get a stable connection, despite having internet well above the 20mbps (or 10mbps on tablet!) required download speed.

It's frustrating because I have a good enough environment for it to work, it just doesn't!

Long live consoles (still hoping that next box is console/pc hybrid)

@__jamiie I was thinking exactly the same. MS clearly ashamed of the console though; hidden away from visitors at the front door in just enough shadow to show they are still alive.

@Steel76 I know people would love to see Sega in the console market again but it isn't going to happen.

Firstly they don't have the infrastructure you now need to be a platform holder, secondly their income is dwarfed by the current 3. Sega made 2.5bn USD, Sony 78Bn USD and MS 211Bn USD.

There is unfortunately no chance what so ever of that happening.

Google, Amazon and maybe someone like Tencent would be the only companies that could have a go now and Google have failed once.

I was waiting for a PS5 or Switch to pop during the advert 🤣
The series console got very little coverage with this and that 🤣
It’s almost the child they are ashamed of.

Microsoft have always been looking at the bigger picture.

Bespoke hardware will be irrelevant in a few years time.

The next gen will be the last hardware from both Sony and Microsoft. Then it's down to the content to fight for people's money.

@TheEstablishment you are the one who doesnt get it. Consumers dont care about the pie, they just know that in a few weeks they’re going to buy a christmas present for their kids, and Microsoft just told them to go buy a samsung smartphone instead of an xbox.

Yeah yeah, Microsoft is destroying their image, that's what XBox is.

Put your games on other ecosystems.

Raise prices on subs.

Barely market your own games, which inevitably turn out disappointing anyway. When they occasionally turn out well, destroy the studio that made said acclaimed game.

Advertise heavily that people already own Xboxes, nullifying the need for a console.

It's actually impressive they've sold as many Xboxes as they have this gen.

It's a fair strategy it is an app/ecosystem anyone can access if they have the right device, the right firmware/OS version of Apple/Android/PC/anything with a screen and internet connection or a Samsung TV from 2020+ or Amazon Fire TV.

Xboxes have a place but I think still for people wanting a box/dedicated fans more so while other devices for other people. But with user numbers how much will Xboxes being removed from the equation and dedicated fans forced to use cloud not as an option when they feel like it.

Like I don't want a gyro or other controller features in a game and it being awkward to use while streaming future happens, I want that with a box thanks for better support and who cares graphics, I want stable gameplay and mechanics first thanks not safe gameplay and graphics with no cough Sony 360/540p of Vita that 480 to 1080p Portal/phone/PS4/PC app should have cough cough lazy Sony. Does Microsoft offer that either? If so lazy for not doing so. But oh YT/Twitch/etc. can do it but we can't do that for game streaming? Or Netflix/other services tiers to pay for that we haven't seen Sony/Xbox do yet, shivers.

I'll take my consoles with a power brick, maybe if I can power it with a generator for internet as well. Otherwise if no services eh will still go offline regardless. Will have a screen near by. Or I'll just take my handhelds/Wii U/PS2 if I find a screen for it or PS1 (don't own a PS1 but it had an LCD screen). Got a screen now for analogue tuning so good enough for SNES level support now but HDMI so just plug the Xbox isn't that and a power brick for the TV/console, good to go.

Either way, cloud is a fair option but yeah will people take this 'oh it's an Xbox' I mean they push Gamepass so much I almost think do people know what Gamepass is more than Xbox? Like Skyrim more than Elder Scrolls kind of hearing about it a lot?

Or understand cloud well enough besides using Cloud storage like Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive (or other services) and going oh it's my storage without knowing it's not local and understanding what the word cloud means. People can use something and still not understand it/what the terms mean or if they have even heard of them, after all.

It's a fair strategy to go with saying 'these devices are capable' and because it's just the app to go off of.

But the thing is do they expect people to do research of devices that are app compatible besides what ones are shown in the ad? Or what games are on Gamepass/Cloud supported besides the icons and more to tag what is compatible for cloud support?

What if nothing interests them? Then well no need for them to access the service right? XD

I mean the average person and what they see/hear/understand is up in the air of possibilities then research besides what us gamers/look at the news/use the services types are.

Saying it's an Xbox but still questioning it beyond the key ones they show I mean it can happen.

Google made Stadia clear to people with a mobile app, with a controller bundle, with a TV and Chromecast, how many use their controllers besides the remote to control their TVs?

Part 2:
Let alone use apps to cast their whole phone to the TV aka like the Switch or Steam Deck or PSP/Nomad or Pocket PCs aka docks/cables but no cables and just phone casting not remote play/cloud just phone over network to a screen like I wish Switch 2 could but doubt it would happen as remote play the casting is better from a powerful device down to another then phone to modem/router to TV and it being very delayed of what 5 seconds it's so noticeable.

I mean third party ones for the whole phone's actions not just YT phone cast icon to cast to YT on your TV/comment. I mean using any phone app, aka the phone OS on your TV as if it was a Switch/PSP connected but wireless. Big differences yet would people know that?

I use a few third party ones on Android and it's ok.

So how well will people understand any device with a storefront to download the Xbox app for cloud services go then do people think?

If this works by all means sure but we will see.

I hear the Sony Xbox is all the rage these days.

@gollumb82 you can connect your steam account to the GeoForce app. The caveat is the game has to be available on GeoForce as well. Any game not supporting by Nvidia wouldn't stream, but their catalog is pretty large and growing daily.

@xxk7xx As long as they subscribe to Game Pass that's okay if they do. The age of no longer being tied to plastic boxes and physical software is fast approaching and Xbox is ready for when it does. Not that consoles are a bad thing, they're just one of many things that you can access Xbox content on. Again, a small piece of the pie.

This comment is an Xbox.

MS/Xbox has a lot of games coming and Game Pass all set up with content. Looks like they're finally making a move.

@TheEstablishment you do these ad campaigns to drive short-term consumer behavior, not to explain long-term strategies of the company. But even then, I doubt there is a single subscriber in the world who uses game pass exclusively through smartphone. It's console that is driving their game pass revenue, pretty sure there's data somewhere to back this up. And no, the end of plastic boxes is not fast approaching, the end of the xbox brand is if they keep embarrassing themselves like this.

I’ve had time to mull over this and there’s a big fat flaw in this messaging from Microsoft. If my PC is a true Xbox then how come I can’t play the majority of my Xbox library on said PC? Until they get to the point where all Xbox games (and I mean all of them including retro backwards compatible titles) are playable on the Xbox app on PC then this kumbaya ‘everything is Xbox’ rhetoric falls flat on its face. They’re presenting Xbox as one happy unified platform, when it’s actually currently two platforms masquerading as one.

Something like, Xbox ix dead, long live Xbox?
I'm an old generation and it feels somewhat weird to me. I understand the gist but I mostly play Xbox on my uhm Xbox. I would've liked to be in that brainstorm session before they came to this!

Edit: If my Steam Deck could be an Xbox without tinkering and putting Windows on it it? We could try ...

I'm all for play everywhere, as long as that includes the option of an affordable and reliable console which is not reliant on the internet. It will be many years before the internet is globally stable enough to deliver games at the stability of game on native storage.

@InterceptorAlpha "I remember saying they were going to do this, what, a year ago? Two years ago?"

You got the Lottery numbers for this weekend please? 😁

@Pusher2021
I've been buying XBoxes, PS'es, and Nintendo consoles since the start. I travel a lot and live in two places. XB is the only platform that makes it easy for me to game. Whether I am waiting in an airport or at whatever location I am at. To me this is all about flexibility to play anywhere, at anytime, on almost every device I own. Without these capabilities my ability to game would be maybe a few hours a week. With these capabilities I add a few more hours of gaming time each week.

I have an XSX, XSS, Razer Kishi V2 for my iPhone, Asus Rog Ally, iPad, a Surface Go, a smokin' i9 PC, and Fire Sticks on every TV I own. I can game on any of these devices! And I do based on where I am. I even carry a firestick and controller with me wherever I travel, because that Is all it takes for me to plug into a hotel TV and get the big screen experience.

@NeoRatt Good points which make a lot of sense, in your case.
I do wonder what about latency? At the hotel or the airport?
My experiences with the Cloud are not that good so I don't spend too much time on it. I assume it's not the Cloud you are using while playing on your ROG Ally?

The mobile stuff I got and maybe could/would use for Xbox gaming is my Steam Deck (non Cloud). My Smartphone & Ipad (Real Racing 3 is the exception) are seldom used for gaming at all. My gaming laptop is used for Game Pass/Reward Points but most of my game time, I use the Xbox generations which are all still connected because I prefer gaming on a 65 4K TV.

The best on the go gaming for me is still the Nintendo Switch. The only travel by plane is when I go on holiday and that's not something that happens on a regular base 😁

So the ad is totally made for people like you, who are able to benefit from it. And I do see the positives in your case.

What honest number out of 10 would you give for the "overall gaming experience" while using that Fire Stick?

@Pusher2021
I tend to play games on the go that are not overly dependent on latency. Strategy games, story adventures, puzzle games, and simple platformers. I do take my switch when I travel too.

Hotel networks are hit and miss. Some are 9 out of 10, Others, are not so good. It is getting better, and highly dependent on the quality of the hotel you are in.

I prefer my home TVs with my consoles too. Have 7 TVs all at or over 55" between my two places (Amassed TVs over a 10 year period). One TV is 1080p and has my XSS. I have three others with XSX, and the rest I run firestick.
The firestick is about the same as XB Cloud on my 6G iPhone.

One of my places is about to get 3 Gbps with my ISP. I will switch to that and I am hoping it improves the cloud gaming experience.

Some are 9 out of 10? Didn't expect that tbh. Curious how the new COD plays in your settings? But I take you only play mostly SP? Did you ever try co-op games? I kind of like the "idea" but don't believe in an overall good gaming service for everyone. It doesn't really apply to me either but when on holiday, it could be fun if it works well.

I also play older gen Xbox games and those can only be played at home I guess, and not on "this is an xbox" device.