As reported Windows HQMicrosoft has stated that it has no plans to exit the hardware market despite tender sales of the Series X and S. There are rumors that the company will be abandoning time-honored home consoles in favor of cloud gaming and more PC-like hardware, such as the inevitable Xbox ROG allies.
“We are actively investing in our future first-party consoles and devices designed, engineered and built by Xbox,” the company said in a statement to Windows Central on October 5. “For more details, the community can re-visit our agreement announcement with AMD.”
This was in response to a purported source reporting that the future of Xbox hardware was “uncertain.” This rumor was also based on the brand’s ongoing public crises and apparent de-emphasis on console hardware:
- Poor sales of Series consoles.
- Closing of prestigious studies.
- A perceptible decline in profits from Game Pass and an enhance in the price of the service.
- A general change across multiple platforms: release date and date for PC (and even some PS5), PC Game Pass, “This is an Xbox” marketing slogan, and Windows-based Xbox ROG Ally.
There is reason to be concerned about Xbox’s future, as it is tied to the future of so many beloved game studios. Microsoft has publicly committed to up-to-date hardware being part of that future, both here and in its announcement of its partnership with AMD over the summer. However, Xbox’s continued instability and Microsoft’s lack of transparency do not inspire confidence.
As members Digital foundry discussed in the weekly podcast, Microsoft’s definition of “console” can move to a place that is inconsistent with common understanding. Is Xbox ROG Ally X a console? What if the company’s next-generation home system turns out to be an Xbox-branded Windows desktop with an effective Xbox steam machine?
There’s also the possibility of a direct change of plans or cancellation: Windows Central cites anonymous accounts of its own handheld being scrapped (as opposed to Ally, whose partner is Asus), as well as an abandoned cloud-based console project. Trust in Xbox is at an all-time low right now, which worries me greatly because much of the gaming industry, particularly in North America, is effectively held hostage to the continued health and growth of the brand.
