Xbox On Keeping Games Off Other Platforms: 'That's Not A Path For Us'

So Starfield is probably on the way to PlayStation 5. Let’s be honest, it was 100% guaranteed as soon as Microsoft decided to change the path that they were heading. I remember getting flamed when I said that it would be on the way. @GeorgeKal, never wasn’t that long, was it!? 😅

According to the Push article on this same subject, the X/S is trailing behind the sales of the Xbox One, which was considered by Microsoft to be a failure (and potentially could have resulted in Microsoft not making the X/S console at all). With this in mind, is it any wonder that Microsoft are now looking to port their games to the PlayStation? When they say nothing is off the table, I think it means just that; nothing will be exclusive, only timed-exclusive at best, and, assuming they follow the same path as they did with PC, eventually (and quietly) even timed-exclusivity will become a thing of the past.

As someone that only really uses GPU to play Gears of War with my mate, I have to question whether there is any real point in me buying the next Xbox...

I think you can see the moment Legarie's heart breaks when Spencer gives his answer...

I've got no issue with this. I don't play it (Starfield) but if I did, it wouldn't alter my experience with it in the slightest. We've known this strategy for a long while... It's not the end of the world and it's certainly not the end of Xbox.

Cant wait to play Avoud on PS5 Pro

@Fiendish-Beaver Console sales mean next to nothing anymore and is such a mid 90's success metric that has aged terribly. Business 101 is to generate revenue, the console helps them to do that but focusing on it is limiting your reach. There are 3 billion gamers out there, you aren't good to reach them all on one single box. People need to think broadly and realize the console is a small PIECE of the puzzle, not the entire puzzle. It's but a mere piece. Chess/checkers.....

Software sales/GP subscriptions/Cloud/Console/PC.

Another L, heads need to roll at Xbox.

Selling Xbox consoles isn't a path for Microsoft....lol

@TheEstablishment
PS5 sales are up over PS4.
Switch is the best selling console of all time.

The only console falling behind is Xbox, and it's because it lacks exclusive games.
How long do you think Microsoft will stay in hardware at this rate?

Are you a fan of the Xbox or Microsoft's financials? For me, if it's not the Xbox console, there's no point.

I thought that much was clear when Spencer made the red line comment a while ago. This is nothing new, really. As a platform-agnostic gamer (have had all consoles this gen) I can tell you Series X is my favourite console easily (Switch would be a close second). The games are really starting to roll in as well. What do you guys care if they aren’t exclusive? Especially when all first party games will be on Game Pass for peanuts and the PS and Ninty crowd will have to pay for them a lot of money. Don’t worry about Sony. They have almost no exclusives either (almost all are on PC now) and I’m betting more and more will be making their way to Xbox over time (like Persona, Death Stranding, Kena and soon Final Fantasy).

@TheEstablishment Xbox makes BILLIONS less than PlayStation despite owning Activision and Zenimax...
BECAUSE when you have a lot of console sales you can sell more software, subscriptions and microtransactions.

Weird how that works!

@gollumb82 I think people care because it's a one way street.
Buy a PS5 and get more 3rd party games, PlayStation games and Xbox games.

Buy an Xbox and get less 3rd party games and only Xbox games.

Also, how long will Microsoft keep up hardware at this rate? Getting outsold 8x1 now.

@TheGameThrifter The reality is that gaming is moving off the console and going more broad. The console will always be a piece of the pie, just not the biggest slice. However, it'll always be there. Focusing on one box limits your reach and makes it impossible to reach all the possible gamers you can.

If Phil is doing doing the rounds telling anyone who'll listen this then you can bet your ass they'll announce some games getting ported soon and the way Xbox console sales have collapsed GTA6 is going to seem like a Playstation exclusive at this point and watch their console sales explode when it releases.

First party games should remain exclusive to their own consoles IMO. It's what drives the people's choice between one platform over the others. To be honest, it doesn't bother me that PS users are playing MS games on their consoles, what bothers me is that we get nothing in return.

Also it makes me insecure that it'd make Xbox leave the hardware business, because I wonder if in the next 10 years or so I will be able to access my library of purchased games. How will it work without a console to play it by then?

@TheGameThrifter MS make more money now with ABK incorporated.

I doubt he really wanted it this way, but with their current CEO it's clear this is how it's gonna be at MS.

I just don't understand why the guy who is partly responsible for the current state of Xbox has been left in charge to handle what is apparently going to be a new era for the division. Okay, you need to pivot and all that, fine. But if the pivot is to become a 3rd party publisher why keep the guy that seemingly can't manage studios properly and ensure they get content out? That issue is going to greatly undermine a publishing model just as much as it did the traditional console model they've had until now.

I swear Phil talks more about PlayStation than Xbox these days. We literally had an article about this exact topic yesterday, how many times has he repeated himself now? How many Pure Xbox articles have we seen about this multiplatform subject in the past few months? I've genuinely lost count. Is this going to be a daily thing now? It's getting exhausting honestly. It's okay we get it Phil, message received loud and clear... I'm tired boss.

Xbox needs exclusives. Simple as that. The gamepas factor of "it's on gamepass" doesn't matter to me as much as "it's only on Xbox & PC" does, I have no issue buying my games like I have for the past 20+ years. I don't understand why Microsoft can't see that.

@TheEstablishment

C'mon, compare Xbox against Playstation, not MS against Playstation... Anything else is disingenuous. Also, "kiddo"? Lol. You sure showed that guy!

Whether Starfield does release on PS5 in the near future or not is totally irrelevant. I doubt very much that it would ANY impact on Xbox Console Sales, Game Pass Sub sales etc as everyone who would buy an Xbox or Sub to Game Pass to play Starfield already has.

Some games may make more sense to release simultaneously on the SAME Day/Date regardless of Platform - games like CoD, Minecraft and Doom for example with an established Fan Base on other Platforms. Others may well be kept from Playstation/Switch hardware for 'months' or even years - games like Indiana Jones, Sea of Thieves etc were/are 'exclusive' on Xbox and by the time these release(d) on PS5, aren't selling Game Pass or Xbox Consoles anymore - just like Sony waiting until they've maximised Sales ((Hardware/Software) in their 'ecosystem', waited until the Game isn't selling much anymore and 'new' Software is shifting Consoles, they release to those who wouldn't buy a Playstation. Microsoft is selling to those Switch/PS5 owners who won't buy an Xbox or Sub to Game Pass so wouldn't get 'revenue' at all unless they do release there.

I'd also argue that having 25m+ in your game, in your 'Store' that selling DLC, Season Passes etc is far better than limiting it to the 2-5m because its limited to just 1 Platform and that platform also has the lowest number of Gamers.

Xbox has 'exclusives' - Indiana Jones is still 'Exclusive' to Xbox in the Console space. Starfield is Still Exclusive, Avowed and South of Midnight are both Exclusive, games like MSFS, Gears, Halo, Forza etc are still exclusive. Yes some may 'eventually' release on Playstation - but Xbox gamers have been able to play them for months/years, finished with them, played it when it was 'Fresh' and 'unspoiled' by all the discussion etc. Its also likely to have been on sale on Xbox - if you prefer to buy and own over the Game Pass model and you won't have the choice to play via a sub or purchase, you have to spend £70+ to play on Day 365+ whilst its been on Game Pass and as low as £20 in a sale on Xbox...

People are still stuck in the 90s, and i can understand that, the narrative on the media has been xbox and xbox console sales bad, everything else is good, they’re just upset that xbox has a good lineup, and they’re being jealous, not many people care about the console sales nowadays, this is console war toxicity pure and simple.

Another day. Same old story about multiplat. Their stance still hasn't changed from any of the previous stories about this.

This is so much worse than the abk news cycle.

Phil spencer when asked about Starfield remaining an xbox exclusive way back in February 2024. "I don’t think we should as an industry ever rule out a game going to any other platform." https://www.gamesradar.com/xbox-boss-phil-spencer-isnt-ruling-out-starfield-ever-coming-to-ps5/

We had this exact same story a year ago. We had this exact same story like a dozen times since.

@Xbotsarefunny where is the 5% claim.

MS haven’t released any figures. So not sure if it’s even 5%

@TheEstablishment I totally agree with you, but I disagree with the full blast third party approach MS seems to enjoy. An exclusivity window of one year would be enough to boost game pass subscriptions.

Case and point–I subscribed to peacock to watch the super mario bros movie. It's on other platforms now, but I'm still subbed to Peacock because I came to like the platform.

Timed exclusivity works and I don't understand why MS seems to be ignoring that for major releases like DOOM.

Microsoft is a software company, it's literally in their name. That's where the trillions of $ come from and it will keep their gaming division health to have as many revenue streams as possible. You wouldn't see any other large software publisher restrict platforms.

I really don't mind thier strategy at all, I might not get the next Xbox but they don't care because they know I'll be buying thier games or using gamepass on something.

Some people need to stop with the console sales argument, it's pointless.

How many of these stories do we really need?

And as usual, I’ll just say that l really don’t care. I’ll continue to buy an Xbox as long as GamePass is as good of a value as it is now. And this year is absolutely amazing for GamePass so where else the games go matters exactly zero to me.

@TheGameThrifter Xbox makes billions more than Nintendo in gaming and billions more than Sony in overall company revenue, so what's your point?

2 years ago phil spencer said xbox lost the console war is it about time some xbox fans acknowledge that reality?

@darylb24 Many industry analysts believe Microsoft will surpass PlayStation in gaming revenue in fiscal year 2025. They'd have to make about $7B a quarter to do it, and with the steady stream of software coming, GP subscriptions, hardware, and other cash streams, it does appear they're on track to do it.

@johnedwin1969 Or how about people look past childish "console wars" and focus on consuming the games they enjoy. You don't see this war mentality in other areas. "My TV sold more than yours, or my trading card brand sold more than yours". It's childish. I love evaluating the business side of the gaming industry but could care less if my favorite gaming brand was #1 or #768, as long as I'm entertained.

I wouldn't expect anyone over the age of 12 to care about "console wars".

At least with these newer interviews Phil seems to be way more honest then last year.

@Isolte It seems to be attributed the entertainment side if things. You never hear "My Sunbeam branded toaster is much better than your Foster branded toaster!". The last time I cared about the console war was back around the time Mortal Kombat came out on Genesis/SNES, when I was 12. That's the only time I ever cared and felt I needed to take a side.

I enjoyed evaluating the industry, it's in my nature and it's what I get paid to do and I understand it well (different industry). It makes me audibly laugh when people with zero business acumen make silly claims like "Xbox is dying" or "Xbox won't make consoles", when these people probably serve up hot dogs at the local gas station for a living and have no idea how to run a business.

@Dr_ENT
Are there no good games on PS5 that you like in the meantime?

I would love it to come to the switch 2. (If it can handle it)

I literally can't be bothered by any of this anymore I don't care what they release on playstation I'm Xbox this gen and probably next at least no matter what it's my preferred console platform!
And nobody should be hurt by starfield going to playstation or switch it's dull as stale biscuits so boring!!

Honestly they have so many games and all on GP day 1 (or day 5) so if you are more or less active player xbox easily becomes main platform. PS is secondary just for exclusives and sony struggles with the first party output way more than MS.
Just 2 games confirmed for 2025 for sony are ghost of yotei and DS2 and guess what DS2 is a timed exclusive now.

I would argue PS5 PRO makes sense for people who want the best possible console version. I personally will play gta 6 and new mafia game there but the rest all on xbox series x

The problem with these threads is people too front thinking and just want to be scared for what MIGHT happen in 10+ years.

It will take MS years to port their big games, to change how studio develop games so they develop games day 1, etc.

Maybe things change drastically next gen, but lets see what happens.

@TheGameThrifter if its so simple and its only about exclusives why Wii U failed? It had great awesome exclusives, ports of which are selling like hotcakes on switch. The best selling game on switch is MK8 - a wii u game.

@Fiendish-Beaver dont buy it. Problem solved.

What exactly are you afraid of? Even if they stop producing hardware, no one will touch your xbox series x and your account with games. Moreover, they are working so its also available on PC and cloud.

If you are looking for reasons to quit- there are plenty.

@TheEstablishment its same people whining all the time (myself guilty too) and getting scared of things that might happen in 10+ years (as next xbox is already confirmed - at worst it will be last gen).

Or its the pony trolls from push square.

Honestly, trying to switch my focus to games and experience I am getting. When instead of rumours doom & gloom, I listen to myself - I actually enjoy my xbox and GP more than PS.
I have a ps5 PRO that is also cool, but dont want to switch or anything until there is an xbox hardware.

It has absolutely nothing to do with console wars, @TheEstablishment, and people need to think about this in a different way. The issue is that more than 50% of Game Pass subscriptions come from people that game on an Xbox console. Thus, the fewer people that buy an Xbox console, the fewer people that game on an Xbox console. The fewer people that own and game on an Xbox console, the fewer people that subscribe to Game Pass, and then there will be a tipping point where Game Pass ceases to be viable.

Lets put this in simple terms, so that people can understand what I'm talking about:

If, Microsoft sell 10 million Xboxes, and 50% of those gamers subscribe to the Game Pass at £100 a year, that raises £500,000,000 a year.

So, if, when the Prime releases, it sells 7 million, and 50% of those gamers subscribe to the Game Pass at £100 a year, that raises £350,000,000 a year. That's a whopping £150,000,000 million less.

So what will Microsoft do about it? Will they cancel Game Pass altogether? After all, for the Service to be viable and make a profit, they actually need that extra £150,000,000, because without it something has to give; be that profit (fat chance!), the quantity and quality of the games entering the Service, or the very existence of the Service itself. The only other alternative, is to raise the prices for the 3.5 million that are subscribed to the Game Pass. So, instead of the Service costing £100 a year, the price would need to rise to £143 a year. Indeed Microsoft would likely raise it still higher than that, because they know that there will be percentage of the 3.5 million Game Pass subscribers that will baulk at the increase in cost and cease to subscribe, leaving the rest to cover the cost of their absence.

Let's face it, putting aside first-party games, the games that have been entering the Service were noticeably fewer and mostly smaller than they were in the heyday of Game Pass in 2020-2022. The Service is not what it was, probably due to there being fewer people that bought an X/S console, leading to fewer Game Pass subscribers, and then the price hike and tiers.

Ultimately, exclusives sell consoles, @Kaloudz, and try telling Sony otherwise! So every exclusive that is ported to the PlayStation has an affect on the number of Xbox consoles that are sold, and anyone that cannot see that is delusional. Thus any game, even one such as Starfield, that ceases to be an Xbox exclusive, means that the Xbox ecosystem is eroded, and that leads to further problems for Xbox, and us as gamers.

Honestly, I get tired of people always assuming that I am pitting one box against another. I mean, I have all 3 consoles and a high-end gaming PC, so it makes little difference to me. I am thinking of the impact this has on the ecosystem, not on who owns which particular plastic box...

@Fiendish-Beaver The console will always be there in some form, but it isn't the prime focus of the company, nor should it be. Limiting your reach to just one plastic box makes zero business sense whatsoever. 3 billion people play games, why limit yourself to under 100 million people? Business 101, my man. Make the console one of many pieces of the pie.

All the games that you mention are third-party games, @gollumb82. Sony locked them down until basically everyone had played them, or there were so many better games that people wouldn't bother playing them anyway.

When it comes to Final Fantasy, yes, there will definitely be an audience for them on the Xbox, though many that game on an Xbox will already have played them on the PlayStation. However, anyone that thinks that these games are coming to the Xbox out of the goodness of Sony's heart, needs to think again. This is entirely on Square Enix and their decision to go fully multi-platform...

Yea well it would probably help phil

If you're one of the people who think Xbox is going to abandon the console space you really don't understand the video gaming business. A HUGE chunk of Xbox console users are on Game Pass and have digital libraries attached to their account, which is feeding the subscription base and helping Microsoft reap that ever so important monthly fee from its subscribers. Also, those who aren't subscribed to Game Pass are simply buying games at full price and driving sales revenue that way. Microsoft can't afford to alienate those users and leave them high and dry and expect Game Pass to grow. The amount of users subscribed on cloud and PC are not even close to matching the amount who subscribe on console so Microsoft doesn't want to cut their Game Pass users by such a massive amount and hope they follow the service to the cloud or PC. Trust me, Xbox consoles are going nowhere.

As for Microsoft putting their games on PlayStation/PC/Nintendo, go right ahead. Reap those sales and help grow those games across the board and create yet another avenue of revenue. The only people who think this decision is a bad thing are people who don't understand that Microsoft's main interest isn't pleasing their hardcore base, but instead it's reaching the potential billions of folks who aren't in their ecosystem yet. Lots of eggs, lots of baskets. It's truly a beautiful thing and Microsoft will lbe the ones who are laughing all the way to the bank in the end. Period.

@Fiendish-Beaver “Let's face it, putting aside first-party games, the games that have been entering the Service were noticeably fewer and mostly smaller than they were in the heyday of Game Pass in 2020-2022. The Service is not what it was”

Have you looked at the line up of games this year? Aside from first party games, there are some fantastic third party games coming to the service. Many $50+ that I wouldn’t call “small.”

Games like Eternal Strands, Sniper Elite: Resistance, Atomfall, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Mixtape, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers and many, many others. There’s around 50 third party games already announced for GamePass this year. And sure there will be many others.

I actually have think this will be the biggest year by far for GamePass.

https://www.purexbox.com/guides/xbox-game-pass-in-2025-the-full-list-of-everything-announced-so-far

GamePass is the big reason I will stick with Xbox consoles. Obviously if there are huge price increases, I might reconsider (though I have never paid even close to full price). It saves me a hell of a lot of money in the long run.

@donv2135 you mean the name didn't give it away?

@Fiendish-Beaver Honestly, I get tired of people always assuming that I am pitting one box against another.

If I've ever given you the impression that I don't enjoy or respect your point of view, I apologise buddy. That was never my intention.

In regards to what else you said, I totally understand where you're coming from, but as far as I'm concerned - I don't see the harm. I think there's a truck load of stats that we will never be privy to, and so long as MS are making profit (be it GP or shedding exclusives) to reinvest, I'm all for it.

I truly believe that in years to come, exclusivity will be a thing of the past for Xbox / Sony / third party developers (I exclude Nintendo because they're a different breed). Does Xbox have a lot to learn? Yes. Do they continue to irritatingly learn through making mistakes? Yes. But do I think there is an end in sight for the brand? No.

But again that's just imo, and I don't mean to make you feel like you're attacking any brand or drawing lines by airing your point.

I wholeheartedly disagree, @TheEstablishment. 1000% percent disagree.

If the Prime sells greatly fewer than the X/S, which is tracking behind the Xbox One, which sold just 58 million consoles and which was considered by Microsoft to be a failure, because it sold quite a bit fewer consoles than the 360 which sold 84 million, then how long do you honestly believe Microsoft will continue to make consoles?

Let's put it this way; the Xbox one sold 58 million consoles, which is 70% of the number of 360 consoles that were sold. So if that trend extends to the Series consoles, then lifetime sales will total 41 million consoles. Then, if the Prime also tracks at 70% of the sales of the X/S, then it will sell just 29 million, and so it would go on, if Microsoft didn't simply pull the plug, and that is what they will do because they will not spend the money to design a console that just won't sell. There is absolutely nothing to be gained in continuing to make consoles if no one is buying them, and remember, when 30% of gamers didn't buy the Xbox One, they didn't just stop gaming, they bought a PS4 instead. Likewise, those that haven't bought a Series console this generation, will have bought a PS5 instead, which is why it is tracking ahead of the PS4.

This means that Sony will get to dictate what games the Xbox gets as they will tie up all the third-party exclusives they want, and Xbox won't get a look in. It is why in the past 4 years we have seen only one AAA(?) exclusive game on the Game Pass day one, that being S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, and calling it AAA might be a bit of a stretch as it's probably more like AA+.

Anyone looking at the vast number of third-party exclusives on the PS5 this generation, and thinking to themselves that it's pretty impressive, will be astounded come the next generation. It is a simple equation; the bigger your userbase, the more third-party games you can get into your ecosystem. The smaller your userbase, the more difficult that becomes, hence this generation, we haven't had any exclusives beyond S.T.A.K.E.R. 2 in the past 4 years...

@Fiendish-Beaver
True that about SE, but the reason for this is that they are unhappy with the sales of their tentpole franchise on Playstation (AFAIK). More devs could go the same route soon. I know Xbox will never get the likes of TLoU, Uncharted or GoW but that’s okay. As you say, everyone has played those on PS3/4 and since TLoU2 Sony hasn’t released a first party that would interest me (except for Horizon FW). Xbox has a lot of games in the pipeline and I imagine we will eventually get all those great Activision and Blizzard games on Game Pass. I look at the lineup for PS5 and can’t help but be unimpressed. Ghost of Yotei is a sequel to a game I haven’t finished out of boredom (ditto for Death Stranding) and what else is there? I will hold onto my PS5, but really the most fun I had on console last year was on Xbox (via xCloud, no less). My point is to stop focusing on games going to PC/PS5/Switch 2 and enjoy the fact that Xbox has some great games. Who knows what the future holds? I’m done playing the armchair expert and prefer to focus on my enjoyment of games.

To be honest, @Kaloudz, that particular comment was not aimed at you at all. It's all good, matey...

@Fiendish-Beaver Good, because you're my second favourite beaver ❤️ much love brother!

@Fiendish-Beaver Microsoft has a huge chunk of their Game Pass subscribers attached to consoles and with every console sold they have the shot at gaining a new Game Pass subscriber. Microsoft doesn't need to out sell their competitors to be the market leader and they don't need to sell more consoles to be on top. They just need to sell enough to keep the current subscribers subscribed and to attract new Game Pass customers. They're also finding new customers off the console, which is how they're going to fully succeed in the end. I see what your saying, but it appears that @TheEstablishment seems to fully understand the long term play Microsoft has put into place and the strategy they're implementing.

Would I like to see more focus on the console? Sure. Does it matter in the end? Nope. Microsoft is going to walk right by everyone in the money they generate in 2025 and 2026 and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it. And for those who can't see that this is an inevitable situation, well, understanding the video game industry may be a little beyond you. Microsoft is in this game for the long haul and Xbox is not going anywhere but to the top. And that, my friends, is a reality check.

@BSlyTheGamerGuy It'll be this fiscal year. M$/Xbox is going to produce around $33 billion in revenue for fiscal 2025, Sony is likely to produce $26 billion. Many Industry analysis is pointing to this and business insider did a whole article based around it.

@Fiendish-Beaver ok we got your point. I want to hear arguments for these:

1. We dont know WHEN they stop doing hardware. Maybe next xbox sells 20M and thats still enough. We dont know how these decisuons are made. Sure they closed windows phone but they did not close MS Surface. Steam deck sold 3M units (each sold at a loss like console btw) and its considered success.
You underestimate how many users actually is 20M for example. Is series selling worse than competition? Yes. Is it small sales? Of course not!
A cliche example with kia sold vs bmw sold.

2. How many more or less noticeable games xbox did not get from 3rd party? I only know Wukong. Even BG3 made it in the end. Are you aware PS somtimes missing 3rd party as well - for example vampire survivor was at least a year on xbox without any agreement with MS. They added to GP at some point but the game released way earlier on steam.

3. Exclusivity, exclusivity, exclusivity. Yes its important factor but its not the #1 factor. If its is then why Wii U failed? It had great exclusives, moreover Mario kart 8 - a best seller on switch with 50M sold is a port from wii u.

4. Why are you stressing about this when you have all platforms? If they stop doing xbox, you keep the latest along with yiur games/achievements and moreover they are trying to make is work on pc/cloud. And you can play on any other problem.
How many times Sarah, Phil and others have to repeat in each interview that they keep doing hardware.

Within the decade if GamePass cloud streaming grows more accessible, they win 'the console war.' Old guard gamers may be upset by not having a console, but it's just like video streaming. 4K quality is demonstrably better from a 4K Blu-ray on a disc player, but as a society we've really said that streaming is 'good enough' quality. Same will happen with gaming.

No upfront hardware cost besides a wifi connected controller and an entire catalog of games with all your saves will win everyday. PC gamers will always exist to have the cutting edge tech. But for the rest of us and especially the younger generation, being able to stream will be a game changer.

Plus Microsoft doesn't care if you stream on Playstation or Xbox because Playstation uses their Azure infrastructure anyway.

I said this on another site but do you remember when folks used to argue over frame rates, resolutions and review scores. I much prefer that over this new trend of celebrating profits.

All these people who shout about revenue were likely the ones telling PS players their console was doomed when series X said it had 12 teraflops and PS5 had less. Now they've gone from gaming enthusiasts to armchair accountants.

MS need to stay in the hardware game as it makes both sides better themselves and, ultimately, that benefits us gamers. More so the gamers who pick games over brand loyalty.

Sadly though, if you replace the word 'platform' in that interview with 'publisher', I think you get the truth where Xbox is heading.

Keep it to your platform(s) and port it to other consoles a year later - win:win:win

@Weebleman does anyone in MS said they are quiting hardware? i hears Booty, Sarah, Phil and Satya mentioned at EVERY single interview that they are doing xbox hardware. Next gen xbox, portable device and also working on xbox overlay in windows (potential pc/xbox hybrid).

They are publisher but they have a platform.

And lets be honest you have been doom&glooming a lot in this forum - doesnt seem you are that gaming enthusiast who just plays as well

@gollumb82 this is my stance. I always had ps up until this gen, got a series x and realised that Xbox games are just more fun (but less critically acclaimed haha).

I don't even buy into the "exclusives sell consoles" for this gen, because ps likely got so many console sales on the strength of their brand and marketing alone.

But if I thought I'd have more fun with a ps5 I'd trade the series X in. I just don't feel that way, and the games are getting stronger and stronger.

@Millionski dooming and glooming? Lost me on that. I'm only repeating things that have been said by those people you listed and giving an opinion on where I think its heading. What's that got to do with me enjoying games?

I never said they didn't say they werent releasing a console. I literally said I want them to release one.

If you took my comment about folks becoming accountants personal then that's on you. It was just my observation.

@Millionski to be fair, they also said less than a year ago exclusives were important part of their strategy. They've completely 180d that.

@Weebleman most money made/ most active users.

The two most ridiculous things that are argued over.

But that said. Only reason MS are going this way is to make that line go up. They don’t give a crap about us. (Neither do Sony)

@FatGuyInLilCoat “more gaming coming to other platforms” does not necessarily mean no exclusives. One does not cancel the other.
How they 180d if we have more exclusives this year (so far) on xbox than PS5?

recently Satya mentioned too “exclusive content for xbox players”.

@Millionski these are not exclusives.... these will all be on switch and PS in less than a year. Timed exclusive is not the same as a full exclusive. I'm more surprised people actually take what they say at face value still. They have literally kept 0 promises...in fact the only exclusive they showed at state of play is the 39.99 south of midnight. Everything else day Multiplat

I have owned every Xbox console and after OG era, it has been my only gaming console until I got a switch. Haven't had a PS since ps2. Im older and don't have time to game like I did before, but I definitely think there's enough on the Xbox to keep me busy. However, for the next Gen, there's literally no reason I wouldn't get a PS over an Xbox. It'll give me access to ALL the games as opposed to only some, which will mean I'd get to play whatever I want, from one console. And like I said, I don't do the buy both Xbox and playstation. So if I'm buying one next Gen, it's gonna be a Ps even though I like the Xbox controller and interface much better.

@FatGuyInLilCoat avowed, south of midnight and fable are exclusives. Atomfall and subnatica are 3rd party exclusives.

How do you know which one will be timed?
Again he said “more games are coming”. Not all games are coming. Not games are coming by X date. He also did not mention any specific criteria how they do these ports.

Also well these presentations always have 3rd party games. Last state of play mentioned 2 exclusives out of 10+ games shown. No one complained back then though.

I am surprised people take rumours and speculations as a fact but deny whats actually happening

The golden age of video games and consoles is gone its just not fun anymore i remember the excitement when i picked up the first xbox the original one lines were coming out the door at the store that was fun those were the great days of video gaming i miss so much !

I like how the picture of this article shows Phil looking like a pure jerk.
It really fits to this statement as punch in the face to every real XBox fan.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner agreed, none of them do. Which, as you say, folks arguing over those points is just bizarre.

We have plenty of decent games coming though so hopefully folks eventually go back to focusing on them.

@TheGameThrifter switch isn’t a console . why do y’all keep comparing a handheld to home consoles? was this a thing with the nintendo DS too or??

@nomither6 The switch is a hybrid. A portable console that can be played at home or on the go. If you never play it portable than it's very much a home console.

@Millionski those are all timed exclusives. How do you know which one will be permanent exclusive? They literally just said they don't see value in putting exclusive walls up? And you think those will remain exclusive? If that's the case then there is no point in arguing it... they literally have spelt it out... xbox does not belive in exclusives. These are not rumors. This is from the horses mouth

@TheEstablishment it’s not a hybrid , that’s just fancy marketing in the same way people called hoverboards “hover”boards , despite being on literal wheels and rolling on the ground. Just because the switch can be connected to a tv doesn’t make it a console; virtually every mobile device can connect to a TV, and can be played with a controller. couple the fact that the literal only difference between a switch lite and switch is that one comes with a dock and the other doesn’t. The GBA could be played on a TV with a GC controller , why wasn’t that called a hybrid?

So yeah, fancy marketing and lingo

@nomither6 Nobody sees the switch that way. The console is designed to play on the TV and in mobile mode, unless it's the Switch Lite. The Lite is meant to be a mobile only device, while the original Switch is a hybrid. No marketing term, no play on words, it's legitimately a hybrid. There is literally no way you can flip it to support your argument.

@TheEstablishment Regardless of how people see it, how does that change the fact of it being a handheld that can be connected to a television via a glorified adapter/middleware called a “dock” (fancy marketing again)? The steam deck is also designed to play on a television and a PC with all controllers , yet it’s still a handheld just feature rich. The PS3 had a web browser & linux support , did that make it a hybrid between a console and PC?

This all boils down to gamers having an unparalleled and extremely biased liking for nintendo , and nothing else. every point i’ve made makes absolute sense , but this emotional nostalgia people have for golden child nintendo is just simply undefeated

also, like i said - literally the only difference between a switch lite and switch is that one comes with a tv adapter and the other doesn’t , but yet the switch is a console? lol yeah ok

@nomither6 Type in "What is the Nintendo Switch" into Google and see if anyone agrees with you. Regardless of your opinion, the Switch is very much a console and there isn't anything you can say that can change that.

@TheEstablishment it’s not a matter of opinion, it’s a literal fact that the switch is a handheld. People can agree on something doesn’t make it a fact, just a popular opinion. You don’t have any argument besides what other people think i.e other people’s opinions than any objective facts .

Nothing you say is facts

Definition of Hybrid Device - “a device that combines two or more technologies to create an efficient system”

oh you mean like the ps5 and xbox series and steam deck ?

Shut up and make games, Phil.

Exclusive or not, Xbox's games output is disappointing and sad.

@StraightWhiteMale I remember Disney/Marvel offered Spider-man to Xbox first but they refused while Sony happily took the offer.

They should stick their games on the switch2 as Nintendo aren’t direct competitors, but not on ps5 as that could hurt future console sales

I care more about a roadmap personally. Where is the big story progression DLC?

Game Pass is an important component of playing the games on our platform, but to keep games off of other platforms...that's not a path for us, it doesn't work for us

This is the clearest on Microsoft's multiplatform initiative to date.
All we have to do now is to wait for the PlayStation fans to stop pretending to care about Xbox's direction with the concern trolling and we are peach.😁

@TheEstablishment Never heard of Dyson vacuum cleaners? people who use it defend that like there kids life depend on it.

Football/soccer/baseball
BMW/Audi/Mercedes
Pepsi/Coke

Religion... I'm going to stop now you get the point console wars are mild compared to the other wars.

For anyone who says they don’t care - just remember that when PureXbox shuts down because PushSquare and NintendoLife will be covering the same content for the same exact games.

All Destin or Parris needed to ask was “Will Xbox have any intentional exclusives going forward” and if the answer was No then there you go. But instead they frame it in a way that is so easy for Phil to answer, and gives us no information. At least Destin asked about Starfield specifically.

Even PlayStation is in the red with all their 1st parties games because they do not sell enough. They need to sell their games on PC, to do remaster, to do remake, to remake the remaster… and still not viable for PlayStation yet.
So imagine if Xbox was keeping their games for them, they would be dead in less than 5 years. Big AAA games do not sell enough nowadays, except for GTA and only some Nintendo games, not even all of them.

So now the world of gaming is dividing in two:

• Xbox, we do not make enough money on Xbox so let us sell our games everywhere so we can make enough money to keep pour franchises strong and we do not do remake of our games every 5 years.
• PlayStation, we do not make enough money on PS so let us remaster our games so you can buy them again. Let us remake them because remaster is not enough. Let us sell our games on PC also because remaster and remake are not enough.

This is the truth about our gaming world right now ↑

@themightyant I am not sure I can find one more time the documents which talked about that, with consoles strict sales (because now with PC sales + remaster + remake sales the numbers are getting highers).
But overall PlayStation has a lot of revenue coming from the sales on their PS store and the 3rd party companies, money which go then into PlayStation AAA games to keep their solo adventure game image, which is completely fine for me.

Who knows Xbox is trying for next gen.
If they are really trying to transform the next Xbox into a PC with Steam on it, Xbox players would be able to play PS games on their « Xbox », through Steam.
Maybe it would calm down some people? Or maybe it would even break PS6 sales?
Everything will come down to the Xbox hardware in my opinion… they can keep living, they can die alone, or they can die and bring PlayStation with them by bringing Steam on TV.

@themightyant oh I completely agree that there is valuable information in the numbers, and they can tell you exactly what strategy a company chose and why.

It was more the throwing around of statements (such as the one from the person above), where people make random claims or attempt to use things they don't understand as a yard stick that begins to irk. Don't get me wrong, there's folks on both side of the fence doing it. I never thought id miss the arguments over a 2fps advantage but here we are.

So.. if most Xbox games are going to be on PC, Nintendo and PlayStation going forward, and yet no big PlayStation or Nintendo exclusives are coming to a future Xbox console in return, why the heck would I buy any Microsoft gaming console going forward?

I do enjoy many Xbox games, but if I can play the likes of Halo, Fable with Mariokart 9 and Zelda on one system alone…

@Weebleman It’s also interesting that the armchair accountants latch onto revenue (because it’s the only metric Xbox report on) as if it’s the be all and end all. If I start a business which sells £1mil worth of product per year but I spend £1.2mil on raw materials, salaries, production etc that is not a healthy business.

We simply don’t know what Xbox’s profit is, aside from a vague statement from the FTC trial where they said it’s single digit margin. I’m going to guess with the mass redundancies, nerfing of MS Rewards, bringing games to other consoles, increase in GPU cost with a stagnation in subscribers, it is nowhere near as healthy as their increased revenue would suggest.

I completely agree with @themightyant though….i don’t care how much money MS make off Xbox because I’m not a shareholder. I care about the games they bring out and how I can play them.

I think the future of gaming has arrived.
Some of us may not like it but we have to accept the industry is changing.

There are negative effects sure. You only have to look at the other industries to see that. For example cinemas closing due to cinema numbers declining due to streaming service subscription.
I'm hoping the next xbox console is innovative just as Microsoft are suggesting. I also would some titles to remain exclusive otherwise I think the only true contender to nintendo will be PlayStation. A place where you can play sony and xbox in one place.

There is no problem with multi-platforming. The problem is that if the console does not sell well, there is a possibility that game software will not be released.
Xbox should try to prevent more software from being sold only on PS5/Nintendo Switch 2/Steam.

@TheGameThrifter just a correction, the switch is not the best selling console of all time. The PS2 is still ahead by almost 20 million units. The switch just surpassed the ps2 in the US only. With the Switch 2 coming out soon it is doubtful that it will surpass it worldwide

@TheGameThrifter the coping of some of these fans is hilarious. Console sales absolutely matter for the health of the brand and you’re correct, PS5 and Switch are selling (have sold) like gang busters. And the only people saying they don’t matter are Xbox fanboys and fangirls who have seen their favorite brand slide in to irrelevance under Spencer. Mattrick wounded Xbox deeply and Spencer slowly bled it out. Just terrible mismanagement yet Spencer is still worshiped by many of the diehards.

I just don't see Steam being on the next Xbox, @Kuainu. The simple reason being that a AAA game on Steam generally costs at least £10 less than it does on a console. Thus if people can pay less for a game, they will, and so Xbox will lose the sale of that game. So, for a third-party game sold on Steam Xbox would lose the 30% that they would charge on their own Store front, and for first-party games, not only would it be selling for £10 less, but also they would have to pay 30% to Steam for the privilege of selling it there.

Therefore, where they sell a third-party game on their Store front that costs £70, Microsoft take a fee of £21. For their own first-party games, they get the whole £70. On Steam though, for first-party games, the game would sell for £60 of which they would actually only receive £42 after paying Steam's 30% fee, and for third-party games, they would entirely miss out on that £21 that they would have got from selling the game. Times this by millions of games sales, and the losses to Microsoft in terms of sales, would be huge...

@nomither6
Well it's actually a home console that can be played on the go.

In that interview, Phil Spencer guarantees: not all Xbox games will be released on other platforms: https://x.com/Xcension/status/1883944660298784816

@Isolte it’s a handheld console , not a home console like people keep trying to force it to be for some strange reason. it’s not a competitor to ps or xbox. Also please don’t be rude , we’re just talking about video games , you don’t have to say “end of story” , like i’m a child.

@MonsterMike so is a laptop & steamdeck - both can be played at home & on the go on a television with a controller . PS portal also can be played at home & on the go & the vita .

Why is it that people can recognize the steamdeck as a handheld, but not the switch? it’s the exact same concept.

@nomither6
Do laptops or steam decks come with a dock that is connected to your television with the explicit design that it be slid in and convert instantly from handheld to TV? It's extremely clear that your mind is made up and you think you're right no matter what is provided to you, so have a good day. Enjoy some games. I'll enjoy my switch as both a home console and handheld.

Business = make that paper

@MonsterMike Switch is a console. Nintendo did a great thing combining all their devs behind one form factor although I'm sure many miss the easier development of their weaker handhelds. My worry with Xbox is they make a handheld and they absolutely drop the ball and split their resources or they try to shove a PC experience into handheld rather than make games with portability in mind. Nintendo make awesome experiences that really feel at home on the Lite or handheld mode of the main console. They've been making handhelds far longer & so has Sony. If Xbox just does a Steam deck copy but with your Xbox library I might be into it but for under $400. But yeah, Switch is a console for sure.

It just won’t feel right playing Gears Of War on anything other than an Xbox. But we all knew this was coming.