Microsoft is 'redefining what it means to be an Xbox fan' warns CEO

Microsoft’s been pushing the concept of playing Xbox games without an Xbox all year (Microsoft)

With many still confused by Xbox’s seemingly contradictory gaming plans, a new report attempts to clear everything up.

Despite having a lot of hotly demanded exclusives coming to the Xbox platform, like next year’s Fable reboot and Gears Of War: E-Day, for most of this year fans have been reckoning with the possibility of Microsoft going third party.

Ever since it decided to port several key exclusives to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, the past year has seen Microsoft open itself up to releasing more and more of its first party games on rival platforms.

Recently, it was claimed that Xbox exclusives will eventually stop being a thing entirely, once Microsoft gets its various developers used to the concept. Now, comments by Microsoft’s CEO only seem to embolden that line of thinking, with the company also said to be interested in some kind of cross-platform interface.

First things first, during Microsoft’s latest shareholders meeting, CEO Satya Nadella was pressed on the progress of the company’s current gaming strategy. For his part, Nadella sounded extremely optimistic about how things are working out.

‘We chose the secular growth category in entertainment, which we think is gaming, and said, let’s double down on it, let’s – and it’s been a passion for Microsoft ever since,’ said Nadella.

‘And so we said, let’s take that joy of gaming everywhere. And that’s why even these ads with Xbox now, where we are redefining what it means to be an Xbox fan, it’s about being able to enjoy Xbox on all your devices.’

There has been some confusion among audiences about what this strategy means for the future of Xbox hardware. Putting Xbox games on other platforms and devices means people will be less inclined to invest in an Xbox console and yet Microsoft has plans to keep making new hardware, including a handheld device.

On top of that, a new report by Windows Central’s Jez Corden claims Microsoft has plans for something called Project Rainway, which Corden describes as a ‘cross-platform Xbox guide menu.’

Exact details are slim, but it’s apparently inspired by the cross-platform social features seen in games available through Activision Blizzard’s Battle.net launcher.

Corden theorises this is a sign Microsoft wants to make it easier for players to access their games regardless of what platform they’re using. So, features like cloud saves and cross-progression would become commonplace across Microsoft’s titles.

Despite all this, Corden’s report argues this doesn’t mark the death knell of Xbox hardware. While the decision to port the likes of Sea Of Thieves and Hi-Fi Rush was met with some outrage from the most devoted of Xbox users, Corden claims this had little, if any impact on Xbox user figures.

As such, Microsoft sees this is as proof that Xbox users are comfortable where they are and are unlikely to ditch the platform even if new Xbox games release elsewhere. Apparently, this is also why Microsoft announced The Outer Worlds 2 for PlayStation 5 as well as Xbox Series X/S at The Game Awards 2024.

Although the idea that anyone, outside of performative influencers, would instantly throw away their Xbox console just because some of its games appeared on rival formats always seemed unlikely.

Corden also brings up Xbox boss Phil Spencer’s own claim that Xbox ‘console users’ are higher than they’ve ever been before (something he said in an IGN interview back in June).

It’s unclear what this means though, as the Xbox Series X/S has sold less than both the Xbox One and Xbox 360. So either he’s combining the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S userbases or counting everyone, on every format, that plays a Microsoft published game – which now includes the likes of Call Of Duty and Diablo.

He argues the Xbox ports of Genshin Impact and Death Stranding prove there are revenue streams worth chasing on Xbox hardware, and adds that he’s heard talk of more PlayStation exclusives following suit.

Although he’s obviously referring to further third party examples and not any of Sony’s first party titles (with the possible exception of a rumoured port of Lego Horizon Adventures – which seems to have been a flop on PlayStation 5 and Switch).

Corden also reiterates past claims that even major Xbox franchises like Halo and Gears Of War may go multiplatform (something Xbox boss Phil Spencer also implied), though he does suggest some outliers might remain exclusive for one reason or another.

This seems at odds, though, with the way Microsoft is approaching things nowadays. If it can be willing to put something like Halo on PlayStation, why keep anything locked to the Xbox platform?

The takeaway from all this seems to be that Microsoft recognises it can’t rely on hardware exclusives if it wants to thrive and grow within the gaming sphere. But its core Xbox user base is still substantial, thus justifying continued investment in developing dedicated Xbox hardware.