Xbox President Sarah Bond has made it clear that hardware is still important to the brand, even if it moves away from platform specificity. Microsoft's gaming division has made some major moves over the past few months, some of which have left fans feeling unsure about what's to come with the next console generation and beyond. It is still not clear what the Xbox is, but its captain has confirmed that the hardware is still very much a part of the business.
In recent years, Xbox seems to have gradually shifted to a more software-centric focus, especially with services like Xbox Game Pass amid dwindling console sales. When Microsoft confirmed hello From now on to PlayStation consoles, this felt like the final nail in the coffin of Xbox exclusives. Despite that change, the company still believes that hardware is central to its identity.
Xbox president says idea of console exclusives 'antiquated'
Xbox president Sarah Bond says making a game exclusive to one platform is an 'outdated' idea as the company releases more games on other consoles.
Xbox president Sarah Bond says 'The Xbox experience starts with the console'
In an interview with Fortune magazine, Bond doubled down on Xbox's console plans, saying, “Hardware is absolutely core to everything we do on Xbox.” While Xbox hardware revenue has fallen sharply in recent quarters, the company remains committed to the console. According to Bond, Xbox's most valuable players start out within the Xbox ecosystem, even if they branch out to play on PC, mobile, or other platforms. Microsoft wants to support a “play anywhere” future, believing that building its own systems is key to thriving in that type of environment. The company had success with the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, despite their high price tags and competition in the handheld market, so it's possible that a similar trend could follow in the broader gaming hardware market.
After Bond explained Xbox's stance on hardware, he also offered some insight into its next console. She described the next-gen Xbox as a “powerful” console that “enables people to take their library with them,” showing how it will tie into the brand's larger beliefs about flexibility in gaming. Players “taking their library with them” may imply some degree of portability, but it's more likely for cloud support and cross-platform saves and progress. Previous reports already suggest that the next Xbox will be a PC/console hybrid, and that it sits in a unique middle ground that Microsoft believes will differentiate itself from other hardware enough to justify the investment.
How future Xbox hardware will lean toward flexibility and choice remains to be seen, but fans at least now have clarity that Microsoft will continue to make consoles, even without exclusives to attract audiences. It's worth noting that PlayStation exclusives are now often coming to other platforms, so there could be big changes on the horizon for the console market.
- brand
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Microsoft
- Original release date
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November 10, 2020
- Original MSRP (USD)
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$499
- operating system
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Proprietary (Windows based)
- processor
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Custom AMD 8-core Zen 2 3.8 GHz
- resolve
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720p – 4K UHD
