Reports Indicate Waning Audience Interest and Mounting Criticism for Xbox
By the end of 2025 a narrative of decline has formed around the Xbox brand with several voices from the industry pointing to the drop in audience engagement significantly. It was further amplified by content creators who have found it difficult to justify covering the platform and journalists who have critic-killed the direction of the company.
Creation of Content Draws Low Viewership
A hallmark of trending signs comes in the form of technical analysis by the specialists at Digital Foundry. Alex Battaglia, the editor of the publication, states that creating Xbox-related videos has become economically unsustainable owing to a fall in viewer interest. He observed that even the highest of expectations from a game can still bring in very little views, creating doubts about their future Xbox coverage.
This was backed by Jez Corden of Windows Central. Articles on Steam Deck attract more attention from readers compared to those on Xbox, according to Corden, even though Windows Central is based primarily on Microsoft products. It is indicative of changes with readers' priorities.
Journalists Criticizing Microsoft's Strategy
This critique is not limited to numbers. The title "Microsoft's Year of Shame," has been given the publication by PC Gamer, whose reporter Wes Fenlon chronicled a litany of supposed failures. Fenlon claimed that the Xbox Series X is no longer a competitive device and that Game Pass was performing poorly, thus causing price hikes.
He also termed the "This is Xbox" rebranding as a failure, as it has only served to highlight the flaws of the platform. Fenlon's critique was part of a greater overall foreshadowing of Microsoft's dubious decision patterns, including:
- vague AI experiments,
- shuttering of acquired game studios,
- and cancellations of promising games.
