Xbox didn’t have games in 2022, but Game Pass dominated everything

Somehow, 2022 was both a very big, successful year for Xbox and Game Pass, and one that felt like the gaming giant was slowly losing steam.

Sure, the Xbox Series S has quietly become one of the biggest next-gen success stories – easy to find and cheaper than the PS5 or Series X – but Microsoft also struggled to release something big in 2022, and got some hot new titles, it less valuable than 2021. And all of this happened while Microsoft fended off regulators and governments in its continued attempt to consume Activision Blizzard. It’s definitely been a strange year for Xbox and Game Pass.

A quiet year for big exclusives

In total, 2022 had fewer major AAA blockbusters than years before. This is likely due to a few different reasons, including how difficult these games are to make, how risky it is to invest in them, and the ongoing pandemic and its ongoing impact on the world. But despite all that, we have some exclusive games from Sony and Nintendo like God of War Ragnarok, Kirby and the forgotten landHorizon: Forbidden Westand two different Pokemon Title.

Meanwhile, Microsoft didn’t seem able to ship its own similar large exclusive in 2022. starfield and redfall were pushed back to 2023, so it was basically just Obsidian Buses, Ghostwire Tokyo via Microsoft’s own Bethesda and a few third-party games published through Xbox Games Studios.

One of those games—Ghostwire Tokyo– is a PS5 console exclusive, not included on Game Pass or Xbox. And calls Buses a “big exclusive” is being generous even if it’s a really cool game.

Some console warriors will argue that Xbox doesn’t need big games, but it does Microsoft does not seem to agree with this assessment. It’s spent the last few years buying up numerous studios, big and small, around the world, so now Microsoft and Xbox own over 20 different game developers. And let’s not forget that Xbox is also looking to buy out Activision Blizzard. They don’t buy all of these companies for their beautiful bathrooms. It’s clear that Microsoft and Phil Spencer want (and need) more games to feed the ever-hungry Game Pass machine.

And this year, without a few big Xbox-only tentpole releases, that service, which lets users pay a monthly fee to access a ton of games, felt like a little less valuable transmission or forza Title. That’s not to say Game Pass sucked in 2022, it just felt a little less valuable compared to 2021 and its plethora of big Xbox exclusives and first-party releases. I think, high in life is currently one of the most popular games on the service. That’s nice for developer Squanch Games, but a sign that Microsoft and its studios have been largely absent in 2022. Hopefully all of these different game studios under the Xbox umbrella can start releasing more games in 2023 and beyond.

But Game Pass still had a good year

Even without major games of its own, Game Pass had a solid 2022. And it’s proof that Xbox’s Netflix-like service can continue to thrive even if Microsoft isn’t able to feed Game Pass itself. In 2022, a lot of games were launched on the service on day one, including Sniper Elite 5, The Anacrusis, tunicTotal War: Warhammer 3, Loot Flow, TMNT: Shredder’s RevengeNobody saves the world Power Wash Simulatorslime grower 2, high in life, Two point campus and MLB The Show 22. And that’s just part of the list.

In addition, Game Pass continued Add catalog titles back from Bethesda and other publishers to his vast library. There were entire periods in 2022 where outside of mobile games like Marvel snap, all I played was Game Pass stuff on my PC or my Xbox. This is impressive and really shows how much the service has expanded and improved over the last few years.

It’s clearer than ever this year that the future of Xbox is built on Game Pass and its success. This is a service that people love and Microsoft doesn’t hesitate to make sure it has content. The new Xbox dashboard redesign appears to be heavily committed to Game Pass, and Microsoft continues to make it easier to play Game Pass over the cloud on non-Xbox devices like TVs and phones. But if you still want an Xbox, Microsoft has a product for you…

The Xbox Series S is Microsoft’s secret weapon

Of all the next-gen consoles, the Xbox Series S is the weakest in terms of raw performance. It cannot output 4K/120Hz graphics and struggles with ray tracing effects. But it is cheaper than a Series X and usually a lot easier to find. Just a few months ago I walked into a Target and bought without planning weeks in advance. And how Inflation is still the order of the daythe $300 Series S is becoming more and more appealing to folks gaming on a budget or parents looking to buy their kids a new console this holiday season without breaking the bank.

Unsurprisingly, the Series S has sold very, very well since its launch. last year it outperformed the PS5, Switch and Xbox Series X. And with its flow temporary holiday price drop to $250, it will likely top the charts again. When you combine the Series S with a Game Pass subscription, you get one of the best deals in gaming right now.

But the Series S could also be a problem for developers as it adds another console to care for and tweak. As the smaller, weaker Xbox continues to gain popularity, some studios may find it harder to create next-gen games that can properly run on it. Still, for now, it’s a wonderful little machine that shows up at the perfect time.

The Activision Blizzard deal

The year 2022 started with a bang, as announced in January Microsoft planned to buy Activision Blizzard King for nearly $70 billion. This of course followed a very bad, terrible year for Activision after this it became public

how much it was a toxic hell hole and how people, mostly women, were treated like shit and harassed while at the company. It seems that Microsoft has rushed in and took advantage of all that bad press and began buying out the ailing company behind it Call of Duty, Candy Crush, and World of Warcraft.

But it hasn’t been a smooth ride since the deal was announced. Instead, several countries regulators, governmentsand others have resisted the deal with complaints, investigations and reports. Microsoft says this deal will lead to it more competition and will expand the gaming industry. Sony and others don’t seem to agree. I personally can’t imagine how good it can be for a company to own more and more of the video game industry considering it gives a company more power and dominance in the market.

Regardless of how you feel about the buyout, this is yet another example of Microsoft trying to both strengthen its back catalog and secure the rights to future big games to continue expanding Game Pass. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kings lucrative mobile games Also, start getting great Game Pass deals Microsoft is pushing into this part of the industry.

The future of Xbox and Game Pass

As we near the year 2023, Xbox is in a good but strange place. Game Pass continues to be a huge win for the company, the Xbox Series S is selling like hotcakes, and there’s a slew of games for 2023-2024 that (if they actually ship on time and aren’t delayed) could lead to some bangers in the future of Xbox.

But Microsoft is also battling the FTC, Sony, and others as it tries to consume more of the industry. And his work on creating an easily accessible Netflix of games has led to a future where people can just skip buying one Xbox and play the next one instead gloriole or forza on their TV or phone via streaming. While this ultimately makes the company money, it also means that its namesake – the Xbox – will become less and less relevant going forward.

Will we someday see a future where you ask a kid what an Xbox is and they say, “That service that lets you play all the games on your TV for $20 a month?” Maybe. And while that may be an odd future, it won’t be bad for Xbox or Microsoft, if they can pull it off, regulators and game preservation be damned.