A Gamers Thoughts: What is Xbox of Today (Editorial)

Written By: Sam Delong-If you have been a gamer in the last ten years or so, there are certain truths that chances are you’ve heard by now. One of those truths is that XBOX has no games. And more recently, Xbox has been porting some of its long-standing franchises to competing platforms — fueling the irritating but unstoppable console tribalism that has plagued social media for decades now. Close your eyes and think of XBOX: What game are you thinking of right now?

Play Anywhere Set Up the Dominoes

If you are thinking of Halo, Gears, or Forza, chances are that you are not alone. Many of the franchises that were once synonymous with the Xbox brand are now also available on PlayStation. And before you get your pitchforks ready, this was always going to be XBOX’s plan, whether they knew it or not. When XBOX started Play Anywhere in 2016, they kicked the door open to the idea that console games could now be played on a powerful gaming PC rig. And with it came all the benefits — including an unlocked frame and refresh rates, a wide range of newly supported resolutions, and support for ultra-wide displays.

The Console Wars are Over, and Gamers Won

In an interview with XBOX Era, CEO Phil Spencer says that Microsoft's strategy is not about selling more consoles than Sony or Nintendo. Much to the outrage of some gamers, Microsoft has been releasing many of its flagship titles on other consoles, even the aforementioned Gears of War. If you are outraged by this, then you shouldn’t be. Regardless of what pro platforms rage channels will tell you, it honestly doesn’t matter where these games appear, even in the unlikely event that XBOX goes the way of Vinyl records. You have two choices — play XBOX Games on an XBOX (or a PC) or play those same games on a PlayStation, with the added benefit of having access to PlayStation exclusives, many of which are making their way to PCs. It’s a win-win.

If you are one of the many XBOX gamers out there who are playing these titles on a Series X or S, then you don’t need to sell it to get a PlayStation, because chances are those games will still come to the XBOX ecosystem first in one way or another. Thanks to one of the best values in gaming — Game Pass. Gamers want to feel vindicated about the purchase of their $500 box, and there’s nothing wrong with that. You have games to play — and thanks to games, will keep on coming — for a small subscription fee. Game Pass helped the amazing Clair Obscur Expedition 33, which has sold over 3 million copies, excluding the Game Pass numbers.

I said at the top that tribalism is dumb — and it is. Since exclusives are no longer a thing, nearly every PS5 Exclusive is now available on PC, or will likely be available soon. Arguing over sales numbers, player numbers — even rooting for a competing platform or game to fail helps no one. While reviews can be a good metric for publishers, it doesn’t stop them from releasing unfinished, broken projects that no one wants. Just play what you want.

Okay, But what About Those Price Hikes?

Microsoft recently raised its prices, and, to some extent, we should complain about that. My last column attacked Nintendo for doing the same thing. The prices of all XBOX hardware have gone up, and from now on, they confirmed that all first-party software might be as high as $80. Are they funneling everyone towards Game Pass — maybe, but the result is more games everywhere. And in the end, Gamers win.