In case anyone fancied having the console war discourse reignited, Phil Spencer has come to your rescue. As part of a pre-E3 show, “What’s Next for Gaming”, the Microsoft VP threw some not-so-subtle shade at Sony, suggesting that Xbox’s practices are more consumer-friendly.
Speaking in a press briefing, Eurogamer reports that Phil Spencer praised Microsoft’s practice of getting games on both console and PC simultaneously. In an obvious criticism of Sony’s PC strategy, Spencer said, “Others bring console games to PC years later, not only making people buy their hardware upfront, but then charging them a second time to play on PC.”
Not done yet, Spencer went on to say, “And of course, all of our games are in our subscription service day one, full cross-platform included.” Again, it is likely he is referring to Sony’s strategy concerning PlayStation Now, as it currently does not host first-party games upon release. Instead, it supports older titles in the company’s library, such as any pre-2020 exclusives.
On the other hand, Xbox’s current strategy blurs the lines between PC and console, with Game Pass ensuring that both platforms share a significant game library. This differs greatly from Sony, which is sticking to its PlayStation exclusives, with some eventually getting a PC rerelease. The most recent PS exclusive to get the PC port treatment is Days Gone, and before that we got Death Stranding and Horizon Zero Dawn.
Microsoft is certainly going all in with Game Pass. Today it was announced that players will soon be able to use to service on smart TVs, with no console required. This could potentially open up next-gen gaming to new audiences, as it would just require an Xbox controller, rather than having to shell out on a Series X or a PC. The statement went on to say that the aim is to bring game streaming to any device with a screen or monitor.
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