Phil Spencer is adamant that consoles are “critical” to Xbox’s business going forward, saying that dedicated gaming hardware is “the future of Xbox.”
In Xbox’s “What’s Next for Gaming?” panel today, the Xbox head was asked about the place of console in Xbox’s strategy. It’s a question some may have been wondering about in particular due to Spencer’s past comments seeming to deprioritize hardware in the grand scheme of the company’s strategy. If that was the case back in 2019, it doesn’t seem to be any longer:
“We know that for players, especially Xbox players, where we come from is people sitting in front of their television with a console plugged into their television. It’s what developers are targeting. It’s what so many of us play. Console is critical to the success of what we’re doing today and the future of Xbox. It’s not the only thing we’re going to focus on. We’re going to focus on allowing player choice. But we know that console is the core of how people think- box is in the name of our product. Xbox. Console is critical to what we are building.”
Spencer added that the team has been hearing positive feedback on the Xbox Series S, noting that “for some people around the planet, $500 for a console is too much for their situation,” and that the price point for the Series S has brought many new customers into the Xbox ecosystem. However, he acknowledged that the 512 GB storage was a limitation for some – hence the announcement today of a 1TB version.
Console is critical to the success of what we’re doing today and the future of Xbox.
“We remain very committed to that [console] style of play, the creators who are building for that space, and the pillar that it is for our brand,” Spencer concluded.
The panel also included Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty, who said that Xbox’s first-party offerings had “turned a corner” and would continue to ramp up in 2024. You can catch up on everything announced during today’s Xbox Games Showcase right here.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.
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