Crossroads Xbox Considered by Ex-costs of PlayStation Chief
According to Shawn Layden, Microsoft's former PlayStation head, the company was at "critical junction" wherein it could leave the gaming console arena someday. According to him, Xbox is now at the same point as Sega was in deciding to stop making consoles after the Dreamcast.
Citing Sega's Decision Not to Go Any Further
Talking to GI.biz in an interview, Layden shared his view with regard to Microsoft's position in the market that said, "I think Sega realized that it was better to be a software company. Microsoft is really at a fork in the road. Their apparatus proposal is not compelling enough to make up for lost ground."
All these show that the current generation of consoles is fraught with difficulties for Xbox, and perhaps a transition to a software-only model-not only internally sounding but also to history, as Sega did-have become feasible for Microsoft.
Microsoft's Continuous Managing of Hardware
If Layden's speculation is anything to pass, then Microsoft is really quite committed to hard form. The following actions fall outside even general speculation concerning an imminent exit from the market:
- A multi-year agreement to create future Xbox consoles made with AMD.
- Microsoft's goal is to include more handheld gaming through implementing a partnership with Asus to develop the Xbox ROG Ally.
Strategy of Software-First
It does not mean that a complete exit from hardware will happen soon, but that strategy has clearly shifted on the part of Microsoft. Now, the company ports its own first-party games to rival platforms, such as PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, as a way of increasing revenues.
In fact, some of the best-selling games on PlayStation are now Xbox studio titles. This approach has made Microsoft unique in balancing its hardware ambitions with new platform-agnostic software direction.
