The Xbox Cloud Gaming beta app has launched on Meta Quest VR headsets, meaning those with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription can access its library of games.
02.12.2023 - 00:05 / wccftech.com / Phil Spencer / Tim Stuart
Over the past few years, there have been scattered hints Microsoft would like to bring their Xbox Game Pass service to rival consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. Talk about this heated up in a major way recently, when Xbox CFO Tim Stuart said they want to get Game Pass on “every screen that will play games,” including PlayStation and Nintendo consoles. Juicy!
But perhaps we need to slow down a little. In an interview with Windows Central posted today, Xbox boss Phil Spencer poured some cold water on the notion of Game Pass on Sony or Nintendo systems, saying it’s “not in [Microsoft’s] plans.”
"I'll start by saying we have no plans to bring Game Pass to PlayStation or Nintendo. It's not in our plans. The thing I want to be focused on is how do we continue to innovate for people who've made the commitment to our [Xbox] hardware platform? And how do we continue to make sure that they feel great about their investment in what we've built.”
With Xbox Series X/S sales struggling, it seems Spencer is trying to avoid the impression Microsoft doesn’t care about the hardware. Spencer sees innovative features as a differentiator for Xbox consoles and promises there is a roadmap for new hardware, services, and even changes for achievements. Don’t expect one of these innovations to be a portable device though – Spencer would rather focus on supporting the current crop of portable PCs. As such, Microsoft is working to make sure their games are compatible with the likes of the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and Legion Go, and hope to make cloud streaming of your regular library of games a reality in the future.
Getting back to Game Pass, Spencer reveals Microsoft spends “over a billion dollars a year supporting third-party games” coming onto the service. Despite that, the service is profitable and gives Microsoft the freedom to greenlight smaller, more niche games like Pentiment and Grounded. That’s good news for folks hoping Microsoft will dig into their back catalog more, particularly now that they own Activision Blizzard.
Spencer also has a word for folks perhaps frustrated by the way he sometimes teases classic franchises (he’s mentioned the likes of StarCraft and King’s Quest in the past, and name drops Banjo-Kazooie in this latest interview) – he’s not just teasing these things for the hell of it. He is the boss after all, so when he teases something, it usually happens…
“I want our fans and customers to know that I don't bring up games just to tease to no end ... if people have watched how we've teased things in the past. There's usually some kind of reconciliation of those hints later on ... I'm not one to lead people on. It might not happen on the timeline that people would love, but usually when I
The Xbox Cloud Gaming beta app has launched on Meta Quest VR headsets, meaning those with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription can access its library of games.
Microsoft’s high-profile legal battle with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over the fate of its $69 billion buyout of Activision Blizzard unearthed a number of explosive revelations, among them the fact Microsoft renegotiated ZeniMax's deal with Disney to make Bethesda's upcoming Indiana Jones game exclusive to Xbox and PC, thus ditching the PlayStation 5 version.
Microsoft is reportedly planning to offer free game streaming in exchange for advertisements. As per TweakTown, Xbox Gaming CFO Tim Stuart suggested during the recent Wells Fargo TMT Summit that to expand geographically, it would be ideal to leverage the company's xCloud service, allowing players to cloud stream games at any ‘endpoint' via a simple Game Pass Ultimate subscription. He further added, “For models like Africa, or India, Southeast Asia, maybe places that aren't console-first, you can say, ‘Hey, do you want to watch 30 seconds of an ad and then get two hours of game streaming?'”
Microsoft is considering ad-based business models for its Xbox Game Pass streaming service, according to chief financial officer Tim Stuart.
Microsoft is exploring the possibility of offering access to Xbox Game Pass in exchange for viewing advertisements.
Xbox Series X|S maker Microsoft has once again expressed a desire to release its membership service Game Pass on to PS5, PS4, allowing first-party titles like Starfield and Forza Motorsport to become available to a wider audience. Xbox CFO Tim Stuart made the comments during the Wells Fargo TMT Summit, stating it to be a «bit of a change of strategy».
Yesterday, Xbox CFO Tim Stuart said Microsoft wants Xbox Game Pass on «every screen that can play games», including «what we would have thought of as competitors in the past like PlayStation and Nintendo». One day later, Xbox boss Phil Spencer told Windows Central: «We have no plans to bring Game Pass to PlayStation or Nintendo. It's not in our plans.»
Xbox boss Phil Spencer says Microsoft spends over $1 billion a year bringing third-party titles to Xbox Game Pass.
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Xbox boss Phil Spencer has revealed how much its Xbox Game Pass subscription service is costing the company, and it's a pretty penny, to say the least.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has clarified Game Pass will not be coming to PlayStation or Nintendo Switch.
Xbox spends «over a billion dollars a year» on its Xbox Game Pass subscription service.