In a post this morning on The Verge, Tom Warren summarizes an interview with Microsoft EVP of Gaming Phil Spencer that was conducted with Stratechery regarding the future of Xbox devices, streaming, and more.
There are a few notable details in the interview which speak to the approach Xbox is taking towards the future of gaming. We’ve talked extensively here at SG on the future of Xbox accessibility and how you will be able to access Game Pass and Game Streaming from other devices directly. Spencer confirms this is an area they are experimenting with:
“I think you’re going to see lower priced hardware as part of our ecosystem when you think about streaming sticks and other things that somebody might want to just go plug into their TV and go play via xCloud,” says Spencer. “You could imagine us even having something that we just included in the Game Pass subscription that gave you an ability to stream xCloud games to your television and buying the controller.”
Early last year, we published an article making sense how you could see Xbox as a service on additional devices
He also notes how they will likely introduce new tiers of Game Pass subscriptions which could include perks like guaranteed access to new Xbox hardware.
Spencer also teases the potential for an “Xbox Game Pass Platinum” with guaranteed access to new Xbox hardware. Microsoft has been bundling Xbox subscriptions and hardware together in something called Xbox All Access, which includes access to Xbox Game Pass and the latest Xbox Series X and Series X consoles. It’s a bundle that Spencer is obviously keen to experiment with in the future.
Given some of the other movement Microsoft and Xbox have been making in this space, including partnering with Samsung, none of this should be surprising. Xbox’s mantra of allowing players to connect with their games anytime and anywhere is slowly coming to life.
Our Take
Xbox is making waves all across the industry and as we seem to keep saying, if you didn’t think Microsoft was serious about the gaming space, you haven’t been paying attention. With two new consoles launching in just a few weeks, the Bethesda acquisition, the massive investment into first-party game development, and the backing of Azure and Microsoft, Xbox is here to stay.
