Although Microsoft has tried to put on a brave face, the future of Xbox, at least as an independent brand with its own hardware and exclusives, seems to be hanging by a thin thread. The reason? The low sales of the console.
Last month, Microsoft tried to calm concerns with an Xbox Business Update, in which they revealed that several older and smaller-scale games would be cross-platform, but that others, like Starfield, would not be for now. They also promised to continue working on new hardware that apparently will represent the “biggest technical leap in history”.
All of this sounds good, but it can clash with the harsh reality that Xbox faces in the console sector. According to Christopher Dring from GameIndustry.biz, he has heard a “very important” publisher say that the performance of Xbox Series X/S is “plummeting” in Europe.
Microsoft is not sure if Xbox Series has been a good bet
The situation was already bad last year, when some European retailers completely abandoned Xbox Series X/S, but it is said that this year is even worse, to the point that publishers are starting to wonder why they bother supporting Xbox.
The potentially worrying points don’t end here: according to Dring, he has heard that the “majority” of Xbox exclusives will end up on PS5 at some point, and that less attention is being paid to Game Pass, which has largely stagnated in terms of popularity.
Of course, this should be taken with caution, but GamesIndustry is not known for publishing sensationalist headlines or inaccurate rumors.
Microsoft can say they want to continue manufacturing hardware all they want, but if publishers stop being interested in putting their software on your platform, that’s where reality comes into play.
If we look back, you will remember that it was then when things started to get ugly for Nintendo during the Gamecube era. It’s what happened to Sega before being forced to abandon hardware. Will Xbox have to become just a publisher?
