Anyone with a working pair of eyes can see that Microsoft Xbox isn’t as dedicated to the homegrown console hardware space as it once was, with the recent Asus/Xbox team-up and Microsoft spending every penny on acquiring developers who focus on the software side of things.
Throw in the company’s Game Pass price debacle, and it really does seem like Xbox has thrown in the towel for good.
Not so fast, says Xbox.
Xbox is alive and kicking – “at least for now”
It’s not only keen-eyed observers who have noticed Xbox’s lack of interest. News of Microsoft officially giving up on the hardware front came from well-known leaker, SneakerSO, who said on the NeoGAF forums that “the steps you would need to take in the lead up to delivering a new console gen weren’t being met” at the company, noting that “the future of Xbox is software publishing” with “cloud gaming being the home of the ‘Xbox platform.'”
He went on to say that in place of a dedicated hardware strategy, Xbox would instead shift its focus to Game Pass and cloud gaming, essentially “becoming the point of entry subscription for xCloud access (which will continue to drive its price tag higher btw, they aren’t done there just yet either),” and releasing their software… everywhere.
Read More: South African gamers hit with massive price hike as Microsoft raises Game Pass fees by up to 109%
WindowsCentral was quick off the mark to find out the truth. After contacting some “very trusted sources” at Xbox, it confirmed that the above statements were false — “at least for now.” Microsoft later said in a statement:
“We are actively investing in our future first-party consoles and devices designed, engineered and built by Xbox.”
That alone appears to put the whole story to bed, but as WindowsCentral points out, that “at least for now” bit is rather concerning. Who’s to say what Microsoft’s official stance will be come November, December, or 2026? Especially as the company licks its wounds over the supposed $300 million loss it suffered by sticking Call of Duty onto Game Pass. That Game Pass price hike is starting to make some sense, yeah?
