Sony Might Make the Better Console, but Microsoft Has the Winning Hand
Phil Spencer has a plan
Going into this current generation of consoles, Xbox head Phil Spencer told fans that they would excite their gamers with exclusive titles for the platform. Shortly thereafter, Bethesda was acquired. Yesterday, we were all made aware of the expected purchase of Activision Blizzard King by Microsoft for the amount of nearly $70 billion. Microsoft’s hold on developers and publishers grew, and so did its market share. But this isn’t what will win the console wars, nor will the better console. It’s the plan Microsoft has had all along that will bring an end to consoles as we know it.
When the specifications for both the PS5 and the Xbox Series X were being released, Sony made sure to demonstrate a clear advantage it had in the bus speed for their system. They announced a series of exclusives that would clearly rival whatever Microsoft could bring to theirs.
Still, there has been no panic from Xbox, because slowly but surely, Xbox has gained control of an audience via their superior subscription service. Of course, we’re talking about Xbox Game Pass. Ben Gilbert from Business Insider reports that Xbox Game Pass monthly subscriptions have topped 25 million, with the company pulling in at least a quarter of a billion dollars each month. These are insane numbers, but why are there so many Game Pass subscribers when there’s a limited number of current-gen consoles available to the public?
Easy: you don’t need an Xbox to enjoy Game Pass.
A couple of years ago, I purchased an Xbox One S for my children. It was on sale for $149 and came with 3 games. On top of that, I purchased a 3-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass because I had heard it was well worth it. Maybe this would eliminate me buying extra games for the console, or at least minimize them.
To this day, I have not purchased one game for them.
On top of avoiding the dreaded $70 to keep my kids happy for 3 days, I’ve also utilized Game Pass on my PC, my own primary source of gaming. I played Gears Tactics the day it was released (a very fun, X-Com like tactical game), as well as a plethora of other titles I wouldn’t have thought of buying. Steam may be my largest gaming library, but my next one up would be Game Pass.
Furthermore, we’re treated to the ability to use Game Pass on our mobile devices. I featured the Razer Kishi in one of my former articles but utilizing any controller that can be connected to your phone, Game Pass members can utilize Xbox Cloud Gaming. While not necessarily useful off of Wi-Fi, gamers can access the entire Game Pass library without installing any title.
This ability isn’t limited to the mobile device but can also be utilized from Xbox consoles. This brings to mind the ability to play next-gen titles on previous generation hardware. A feature like this will keep the One X and One S relevant even while current-gen consoles are pumped out.
This leads us to Microsoft’s final play: the Series S, a console that is listed for under $300 and can provide better specifications than a mid-range gaming PC. The Series S can also run games from Xbox Cloud Gaming, meaning that its relevance will remain for years to come.
While Sony has had a few answers here and there, the popularity swirling around Game Pass has only grown. Xbox’s commitment to Day 1 releases on Game Pass has been tremendous and will keep that community growing. By ensuring that popular publishers and developers are under their umbrella, Xbox intends to win the long siege.
Sony will win this generation of console sales, but Microsoft will be the victor.
