Xbox will never be able to “out-console” PlayStation and Nintendo in the console market, and has no interest in doing so, Xbox head Phil Spencer has claimed in a recent interview. While Spencer says Xbox will always look to improve the experience for console players, its overall ethos of being able to play anywhere on any device means that picking a console-specific fight with Sony and Nintendo isn’t part of its strategy.
Responding to community concerns about Xbox focusing too much on its PC playerbase, Phil Spencer says in an interview with Kinda Funny Games that “we’ll definitely continue to focus on making our console experience as great as it can be […] I will say, this might be disruptive as well, we have a different vision […] we want Xbox to be something that people who buy our console can feel like they’re members of […] feel like they’re full members of our eco-system.”
Giving Xbox owners the ability to “play on many devices” is still paramount according to Spencer, but attempting to upstage rivals like PlayStation or Nintendo isn’t a top priority.
“We’re not in the business of out console-ing Sony or out console-ing Nintendo. There isn’t really a great solution or win for us […] the truth of the matter is when you’re third place in the console marketplace, and the top two players are as strong as they are […] our vision is that everybody who has a console has to feel like they have a great experience and a first-class citizen,” explains Spencer.
Additionally, Spencer says just building “great games” isn’t a direct solution to the commentary around Xbox’s reputation alongside its peers: “We lost the worst generation to lose, in the Xbox One generation, when everybody built their digital library of games […] everybody who walks into a retailer to buy a console are already a member of one of three ecosystems. Their digital library is there […] the continuity from generation is so strong.”
On the strength of providing an “awesome” experience for Xbox owners, Spencer claims “there is no world where Starfield is an 11/10 and people start selling their PS5s” and that “there isn’t a win for Xbox in staying in the wake of someone else.”
On the subject of Starfield, though, the Xbox Game Studios CEO confirms with a simple “yeah” that players can expect a clear message on the inclusion of 30/60FPS. We’ll just have to wait and see what the Starfield Direct showcase delivers, but until then, check out all the Xbox Game Pass games that are available right now to play.