Recently, head of Microsoft Gaming, has spoken with Bloomberg regarding where things are heading for Xbox in the future after a year of serious communication fumbles and anger inducing decisions for the Xbox fans. We have linked the Bloomberg article for you to read which we strongly suggest you do. The future of Xbox could be changing, for both better and for worse. It really depends on what angle you look at it from. Whatever happens, gaming is changing fast in the console space and what Microsoft has plans for will see both plenty of winners and losers.
First of all, do not worry if you think Microsoft is abanding the hardware race as Phil Spencer reiterates that yes, an Xbox handheld is in the works. However, it seems to be some way off as the Research and Development team are currently still in the playing around with concepts stage. So do not expect anything to release in 2025, or perhaps not even 2026. However, the question should be what avenue will Microsoft take with a handheld device?
If Microsoft takes the dedicated hardware approach theneeds to be powerful enough to play Xbox Series X & S games at the very least but not too expensive that you immediately turn away everyone except the hardcore Xbox fans. On the other hand, going cloud streaming will fit right into Xbox Cloud that Microsoft has invested heavily into as either the future, or one of the futures of gaming. But that too comes with big caveats such as the fact Xbox Cloud streaming is just not there yet from the backend and certainly not for most people Microsoft will be trying to convince to buy the Xbox handheld. Sony’s PlayStation Portal is a streaming device but it relies on your PlayStation 5 being turned to play the games. This is not perhaps the best avenue for Microsoft to look at. Either way, there is already fierce competition out there and with Nintendo announcing their next console before the end of March 2025, it will only become increasiongly challenging to break into. Especially when the Xbox brand has been struggling as it is.
Phil Spencer has also made it clear that Microsoft are still on the look out for more acquisitions, even so soon after completing a very lengthy, expensive and difficult buy out of Activision Blizzard for a staggering $70 billion. Microsoft are still slowly absorving this new purchase into Microsoft Gaming and with the various monopoly commissions in the United Kingdom and United States already watching Microsoft carefully, anything too big will be so much more difficult than before. And this time, we may even see the likes of the EU stepping in which will only cause more problems. It is interesting to note however, that according to Phil Spencer, Microsoft are still wanting to look at the Asian market as a future for expansions. Remember, they controversially shuttered Tango Gameworks earlier this year, though it was later saved by Krafton along with the Hi-Fi Rush IP. Time will tell whether anything of Microsoft’s aims for more acquisitions comes about.
Finally, and this is the big one, Phil Spencer has said there is no red line as to what games could see their way ported over to the PlayStation consoles and Nintendo’s Switch and one images, it’s successor. Up until now, although rumours were going around that a lot more will be making the trip from Xbox exclusivity either from the past or the future, it has been repeatedly shot down even if the communication has been vague and often late to the party. However now, we may see that green garden wall of Xbox fully come down as games such as Halo and Forza which had previously believed to be totally off limits, could see their way onto the compeition. Not too long ago, 343 Interactive was restructured and rebranded as Halo Studios as well as ditching the complicated in house engine and instead moving over to Unreal Engine for all future games. This could be the first signs of Halo going fully multiplatform with all future releases.
There will be a lot more to be said by Phil Spencer and the likes at Microsoft over the coming days, weeks and months as things continue to shift and change at Microsoft. For now, it is a matter of watching this space and seeing what plans out.
The next big release from Microsoft is previously exclusive Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, developed by MachineGames, published by Bethesda Gameworks and launching 9th December 2024 for Xbox Series X & S and PC while coming to the PlayStation 5 early 2025.
