Xbox fans can breathe a sigh of collective relief as Phil Spencer has personally come forward to reassure us that Microsoft will not abandon the Xbox consoles.
According to the journalist Shannon Liaou, Phil Spencer, the current head of Microsoft's gaming division, has told employees that they will continue making Xbox consoles and intend to keep them as a part of Microsoft's strategy involving "multiple kinds of devices” for maximum platform coverage.
Last week Phil Spencer wrote on X, “We’ve been planning a business update event for next week, where we look forward to sharing more details with you about our vision for the future of Xbox. Stay tuned.”
Those of you who are not up to date with the news might be confused about the significance of this announcement. Essentially, reports and leaks from Microsoft suggest a new strategy where they would port over many of their exclusives, such as Starfield, Hi-fi Rush, Gears of War, and Indiana Jones, to the PlayStation 5.
While not official, these reports resulted in significant backlash from members of the Xbox community who believed this could mark the end of Microsoft's console business. Many fans complained that Xbox is giving fans no reason to support the console. In a culture where the console wars were predominantly based around the exclusives, Microsoft seems to be raising their hands in defeat.
Naturally, many fans were left bitter and jaded and some influencers made sure to voice their disappointment. Phil Spencer has now unofficially addressed these online reports in the town hall meeting and we can look forward to more updates in Microsoft's next business update event.
It's no secret that Xbox has been underselling compared to the PS5 and Nintendo's consoles. Microsoft's new policy regarding Xbox consoles and their exclusive titles could mark a major new shift in the gaming landscape. For better or worse, we're yet to see.