Not a Word About Xbox — Microsoft Chief on the Future of Gaming

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella outlined the company’s vision for the next generation of gaming — notably never once saying the word “Xbox.” That omission prompted a flood of questions from players: will Microsoft continue to develop its own console?

In an interview with TBPN, Nadella discussed Microsoft’s gaming strategy and stressed the company’s ambition to be “everywhere, on every platform.” He pointed out that Windows gaming remains the firm’s core business, and cited Steam as evidence of how strong that market can be.

According to the CEO, Microsoft aims to become a “major publisher,” much like its role with the Office suite, and intends for its games to be available on PC, mobile devices, in the cloud, and on TV.

Nadella added that the company will keep innovating across systems, PCs, and consoles, describing them as “different forms of the same device.” He said the future console will combine PC-level power with the simplicity of a console — a notion that aligns with leaks about a Windows-based hybrid platform.

The CEO emphasized that today’s main competition isn’t PlayStation but short-form video platforms such as TikTok and YouTube Shorts. He said Microsoft will promote a non-exclusive approach to games, prioritizing availability of content “on as many platforms as possible.”

All signs increasingly point to Microsoft’s next device possibly abandoning the traditional Xbox model in favor of a hybrid system that merges the PC ecosystem with cloud services.

Source: iXBT.games