There has been a major leadership change at Xbox, with Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond leaving their roles and Asha Sharma becoming the new CEO. Until recently, Sharma led Microsoft’s CoreAI division. One of her main goals is to focus again on Xbox consoles, but the company’s multi-platform strategy will remain in place.
Sales of the Xbox Series X have struggled, and Microsoft Gaming’s multi-platform approach has not helped boost console numbers. In fact, the next Xbox console could reportedly be closer to a PC in design.
A Renewed Focus on Xbox Consoles
In her introduction message (thanks Push Square), the new CEO wanted to reassure long-time fans that she has no intention of abandoning hardware. Instead, she plans to renew Xbox’s commitment to consoles by taking inspiration from the brand’s strong past.
“We will celebrate our roots with a renewed commitment to Xbox starting with console which has shaped who we are. It connects us to the players and fans who invest in Xbox, and to the developers who build ambitious experiences for it,” she said.
Her words make it clear that consoles will remain a key part of Xbox’s identity moving forward.
At the same time, focusing again on Xbox consoles does not mean changing the recent strategy. In his statement, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stressed that Xbox will continue to reach players “everywhere without compromise.”
“Today we reach over 500 million monthly active users, are a top publisher across all platforms, and continue to innovate across gaming hardware, content, and community, in service of creators and players everywhere.”
In short, Xbox is expected to keep releasing its games on other consoles such as PlayStation 5 and Switch 2, where it has already achieved strong results, especially with titles like Forza Horizon 5.
It remains to be seen how Asha Sharma will influence the development of the next Xbox console, which is said to be well underway and possibly designed more like a PC.
