Xbox CEO confirms that future consoles are still coming

Xbox fans can rest easy knowing that Microsoft doesn’t intend to cut out console hardware, as Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has confirmed to Rolling Stone that future consoles are still coming. The company doesn’t plan to cut them out of its strategy for the future of Xbox. That might not have been immediately clear with the new Xbox ad that was dropped this week. With some fans up in arms over or simply downright baffled at the choice to market the brand in such a way.

For those who may have missed it, Xbox put out a new ad that very clearly emphasizes the company’s cloud gaming and Game Pass efforts. The “This is an Xbox” ad kicks off by showing the monolithic Xbox Series X with the words “This is an Xbox” hovering just above it in bright green. The ad then continues by showing off a TV without an Xbox connected to it. The words “this is also an Xbox, by itself” are positioned above it. A smartphone and an ASUS ROG Ally X with the Xbox app featuring the words, you guessed it, “This is an Xbox.” You get the idea.

The new Xbox ad doesn’t focus on future consoles, and that seems to have angered some users

Microsoft has honed in on its strategy over the past few years of making Xbox games available virtually anywhere. Through cloud gaming on smartphones, through screens big and small, and on PCs using a dedicated app. And of course, through the actual console itself. Not everyone particularly loves this strategy.

Some diehard fans think Microsoft should focus on the console and bring in top-tier exclusives to help unit sales. But the majority of Xbox fans seem to be fine with it. Xbox Game Pass reached 34 million subscribers back in February, a 36 percent bump from the previously reported numbers back in 2022. So clearly, Microsoft is making some right moves here. That doesn’t stop some from being positively confused at how Microsoft chose to go about the marketing.

While the video is mostly laying out all the ways to play Xbox games, a brief moment toward the end throws in a joke about a bento box. Microsoft’s poke at some fun is more clearly visible in the static image ad, which throws a few things that aren’t an Xbox in the mix. A bit strange, sure, but in the end Microsoft seems to just be having a little fun. And ultimately, it gets the point across. You can play Xbox games on tons of different displays.

There’s no mention of when new hardware will show up

New hardware is almost always a given, even if it hasn’t been confirmed. That being said, Spencer has confirmed that hardware is still part of the plan. New consoles are still part of the plan, even if he hasn’t given out specific dates. The thing to keep in mind here is that we’re at least 3-4 years out from any new Xbox hardware. It’s right in the middle of the current console generation. So there’s a few years left before a new Xbox or a new PlayStation console to replace the Xbox Series X and PS5.

And while Spencer has confirmed an Xbox handheld is being considered, he also stated that new hardware is years away. So for now, the focus is on Xbox Game Pass. Playing games on more screens, anywhere. Will that work in the long run? Who knows.