Spencer elaborated that his statement wasn’t meant to “disrespect” Sony or Nintendo, but the playing field is changing. Microsoft has maintained a fairly open relationship with Sony and Nintendo, being a driving force in allowing crossplay between the competing systems. However, Microsoft is in an interesting position. The Xbox One has been unable to compete with PS4 sales, and it’s believed that the Nintendo Switch, released several years after the Xbox One, may have surpassed the Xbox One’s estimated sales too.
Microsoft’s positioning for the future is fairly comfortable, but at present, the ground is a bit shakier. The Xbox One hasn’t been a failure by any means, but it’s struggled to stay competitive with the other traditional consoles. Considering that Microsoft is declaring Google, and by extension Stadia, a main competitor, it may leave some gamers scratching their heads, especially considering Stadia’s troubled launch.
Microsoft will undoubtedly have some major shifts during the next console generation. With the Xbox Series X on the horizon, the future of the Xbox brand is somewhat unclear. There will likely be some big changes to Xbox’s philosophy in the coming years, changes that may rock the foundation of the games industry. Many Xbox Series X features are still a mystery, but the system may wind up being more cloud-capable than fans initially thought.
The Xbox Series X is slated to release this fall.
Source: Protocol
