Microsoft is focusing on performance, games and the community with the new Xbox consoles.
The new consoles PlayStation 5 as well as the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are available now, but Sony and Microsoft have completely different orientations in the ninth generation of consoles.
While Sony remains true to itself and, as the market leader in the PlayStation 4 / Xbox One era, has changed little, Microsoft has developed a completely new strategy. Microsoft not only has the most powerful console in its portfolio on paper, but also the most affordable with the Xbox Series S. Furthermore, with the Xbox Game Pass and xCloud, the goal is to further expand the “Netflix for games” and to make the games ready to play on as many devices as possible. The games can thus be played on iOS and Android devices and even streaming to the PC is currently in the test phase.
Despite the flexibility it offers, Microsoft still sees console games as the main experience. It is just a bonus to be able to decide how and on which device the player wants to consume his games.
Liz Hamren, Head of Platform Engineering and Hardware explains diversity: “We still see the console as our flagship experience and the living room as the best, most immersive place to play.”
“I think the idea is that we’ve developed the ability to bring amazing, immersive gaming experiences to people in their living rooms with dedicated hardware, and we want to take that to other places. We want players to be able to take this experience, the core of the Xbox experience, with them to other locations at any time. “
In the further course of the interview, Hamren explains that downward compatibility and the upgrading of older games were one of the great requests of the community that were listened to.
She continues: “We’re really thinking more in terms of a complete Xbox ecosystem than a tough transition from one generation to the next.”
“We saw a lot of demand for next generation consoles. That means people will upgrade when they’re ready. “
“I think we’ll just keep looking at what’s important to our players. Currently, these are performance, games and playing together with friends. As we continue to invest … we always keep that in mind. “
