Under PS5 dominance, Microsoft says you don't need a console at all, actually everything is an Xbox, and "you're probably reading this right now from an Xbox"

2024-11-14

GamesUnder PS5 dominance, Microsoft says you don’t need a console at all, actually everything is an Xbox, and “you’re probably reading this right now from an Xbox"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Microsoft / Xbox)

Phone reading "this is an Xbox"

Microsoft’s latest Xbox marketing push reinforces the sales pitch that Xbox is a broad platform and ecosystem, not a console destination. In it, the company argues that basically every device you own is an Xbox. This is another marketing beat for the pile, but it’s also a high-profile, carefully worded crystallization of what Xbox has been pursuing for years.

“Whether you have an Xbox console, PC,SamsungSmart TV, handheld, mobile phone, Amazon FireTV Stick, or even a Meta Quest, you have an Xbox,” reads the description of a newYouTubevideo titled “This Is an Xbox.” This line boils it down: “In fact, you’re probably reading this right now from an Xbox.”

Ashort, jokey quizattached to the campaign doubles down, highlighting the access and advantage of each of these platforms. “TheASUSROG Ally X and other gaming handhelds offer a portable way to stream games with Game Pass Ultimate,” for instance. Likewise, “the Xbox app on Windows PC can magically transform personal computers into Xboxes.” Even “your favorite mobile devices can become convenient, pocket-sized Xboxes.” And on and on.

Xbox - This Is an Xbox - YouTubeWatch On

Xbox - This Is an Xbox - YouTube

This isn’t a dramatic shift in messaging for Xbox, but it does feel like an especially loud rejection of the traditional console model. Earlier this year, with the reveal of that Fire TV Game Pass partnership,Xbox proudly claimed “no console needed.“Very literally redefining what qualifies as an Xbox feels like the next logical step in that process, even if some longtime fans of the platform may be disappointed to see the console presence diluted as an inevitable consequence. There are, notably, 724 dislikes on this marketing video to some 2,200 likes at the time of writing.

Meanwhile, Spencer just recently said thatthere are “no red lines” on what Xbox games could come to PlayStation, leaving the door open for virtually anything to ditch exclusivity and go multiplatform, mirroring the trajectory of Xbox as a whole.

At the same time, Spencer has repeatedly stressed that Xbox isn’t abandoning hardware. He saysthe in-progress next-gen Xbox will “respect the investments that people have made” in the platformover the years. All of this sets up a delicate balancing act between reassuring old guard fans and bringing in folks who suddenly have an Xbox in their pocket.

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(Image credit: Xbox)

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Microsoft does want to reach players on all platforms, and it wants to convince you that the screen in front of you right now can double as an Xbox, but it still demonstrably wants a console to point to as a tentpole device. Heck,it’s even spinning up an Xbox handheld.

This marketing beat serves as a useful refresher more than anything. Microsoft isn’t dropping hardware, but it isn’t prioritizing its own to the exclusion of others either. Xbox is still dealing in consoles, but increasingly in the same way thatValvedeals in PC handhelds with Steam Deck: not creating a platform, but rather entering its own device in the race.

Put simply, Xbox software has long outgrown Xbox hardware, and this marketing push reflects that. Even Game Pass, the closest thing to a silver bullet that Microsoft has,has seen flattening growth. With no quick fix for its console install base in sight, Microsoft is increasingly looking past consoles to expand its audience and, slowly but surely, change its identity, which regularly leads to more options for players. As its exclusives dwindle and it claims that Xbox is everywhere, the challenge for Microsoft will be clearly defining and communicating that new identity, and simultaneously convincing those players that Xbox has things they can’t get anywhere else.

After cutting 2,500 jobs in under one year, Phil Spencer says he feels good about the industry and that “the Xbox business has never been more healthy.”

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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis board game models and tokens laid out on a board

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

Squid Game season 2

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Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

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3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

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4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

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