Microsoft announces more regions for Xbox Game Pass, TV apps, 'streaming devices,' and much more

Xbox Game Pass Surface Duo Gears Source: Windows Central

What you need to know

Microsoft revealed details about its Xbox strategy behind digital closed doors for E3 2022.
Microsoft shared testify that Xbox Game Laissez passer is lifting retail sales of games, while noting that consoles would remain their flagship effort.
Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming is coming to Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and Japan later in 2022, and the Xbox Serial Ten server blade upgrade is "in its concluding stages."
Microsoft will hold a games showcase for Xbox on June xiii, 2022.

Ahead of Microsoft'due south big E3 2022 Xbox showcase, the company shared some updates on its roadmap for the Xbox platform with press and analysts, including ourselves, giving us some insight into where Xbox is headed.

Microsoft has seen record-breaking growth for Xbox, with quarterly acquirement and profits hitting best highs, oft on the dorsum of Xbox Game Laissez passer. The subscription isn't where the story ends, though. In information shared with analysts, Microsoft painted a moving-picture show of a service that seems to have no real downside, with boosted retail spending, engagement, and more game time hours for devs investing in the service. Microsoft also gave some hints for futurity growth — including streaming devices and new regions, while emphasizing that the company still has "work to do."

We'll hear more than well-nigh what Microsoft'due south future Xbox games lineup looks similar after E3 2022 on June thirteen, but here's the meat on Xbox Game Pass and Xbox as a platform from Microsoft's perspective.

Game Pass drives game sales

Xbox Game Pass at Gamescom 2022 Source: Matt Brown / Windows Central

Every bit you might expect, Xbox Game Laissez passer was very cardinal to Microsoft'southward message for growth, although Xbox caput Phil Spencer said during the presentation that consoles and PC will always and forever have a identify at the middle of the Xbox mission. Microsoft's Liz Hamren CVP for gaming experiences and platforms reiterated that indeed, Xbox consoles remain the "flagship experience." The bulletin ultimately explained that Xbox Game Pass is just another option, targeting gamers who perhaps tin can't beget to spend money outright on every slice of software, every big hardware upgrade, and so on. Spencer used arcades of ages past as a discovery mechanism and sees Xbox Game Pass in much the same fashion.

Microsoft offered some updates on how Game Laissez passer members' habits differ from non-subscribers. Over 90% of the 18 1000000+ members of Xbox Game Pass notation that they played games they would have never tried without Xbox Game Pass. Nigh a third devious into new genres and forty% play more games than average. Microsoft noted that games see anywhere upward to and in a higher place eight times more engagement in one case they enter Game Laissez passer. Crucially, Xbox Game Pass members spend l% more than on DLC and game purchases than non-members, taking reward of the sectional Xbox Game Pass retail discount.

Microsoft also shared that EA Play games take seen tape usage since joining Xbox Game Laissez passer, driving hours played in EA vault titles past more than than 200%, reaching "millions" of new players.

EA Play games have seen record usage since joining Xbox Game Pass.

Despite being in Xbox Game Pass on 24-hour interval one, Outriders still became the No. 1-selling digital game on Xbox during its launch week and remained in the top 10 for the month of Apr. MLB: The Testify 21 became an overnight hit on Xbox Game Pass, becoming the biggest sports game of 2022, and the 2nd biggest sports game of all time on Xbox. MLB: The Show took home the crown for best-selling digital game on Xbox for the month of April too, despite beingness in Xbox Game Laissez passer. Microsoft also noted that Xbox Game Pass helps drive sales on Steam and on the Ballsy Game Store.

Some of these facts Microsoft recently shared behind closed doors with its partners at Game Stack Live back in April, but the new figures for Outriders and MLB: The Show truly evidence the fact that Xbox Game Pass isn't replacing traditional game sales, but rather driving them, similarly to how a rental service might create a virality "discussion-of-oral fissure" marketing effect. I tin can speak from experience that recently, I found myself playing Dragon Quest XI purely because of Xbox Game Pass. I later bought the game outright and establish myself buying merch for it on Amazon. Information technology reminds me of renting games from Blockbuster equally a kid, with the view of buying-to-own after if the games were things I ended upward enjoying.

Xbox Game Pass expands to more regions and more devices

Azure Data Center Source: Microsoft

Microsoft reiterated that Bethesda games volition hit Xbox Game Pass day one going forwards, aslope continuing investment in showtime-political party studios. Microsoft volition offer more than details on exactly what those games will be at their June thirteen Xbox showcase, streamed on Twitch, YouTube, and other platforms. Microsoft'due south mission is also to abound their audience beyond the panel userbase, which Microsoft considers to be limited to around 250 million households — ultimately a small piece of the three billion-strong electronic gaming pie.

Microsoft revealed that they're working on new hardware and services that "won't come up to light for many years," including streaming devices.

To that finish, Microsoft revealed that they're working on new hardware and services that "won't come to light for many years," including streaming devices that will eliminate the need to have a total-blown console. This sounds similar to the cancelled Project Hobart device of yesteryear, but it could likewise infer handheld devices, like the Surface Duo or something else. I've heard sporadic rumors for years that Microsoft has dabbled with handheld prototypes, and perhaps nosotros could come across a cloud-based Switch competitor emerge someday. I certainly think Microsoft should make an Xbox handheld, anyway.

Beyond their own devices, Microsoft confirmed it is working with global Boob tube manufacturers to build spider web apps directly into smart television sets, with directly connectivity for Xbox controllers. Microsoft is also exploring new tiers and other subscription models for Xbox Game Pass to run across unlike types of consumers. I've previously argued that Microsoft should make a Game Pass cloud-but tier "calorie-free" version, for those who don't want to buy a console or PC.

Additionally, Microsoft begin rolling out Xbox Game Laissez passer Ultimate's cloud service to new users in Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and Japan after in 2022, with a broad-reaching server upgrade to Xbox Series X-level hardware "in the final stages." Users in supported regions will also gain access to the web version of Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming "in the next few weeks," rolling out to the public from its closed beta exam. The web version bypasses Apple's anti-competitive restrictions on its iOS app store, bringing Xbox gaming directly to your iPad or iPhone. Microsoft will also fully integrate deject gaming into the Xbox app on PC, letting users endeavor games before they download them, or experience console-quality games on PCs and laptops without high-end graphics cards necessary for native PC gaming.

Next stop: games

Microsoft's missing piece of the jigsaw is a steady cadence of high-quality games that can solidify it as a destination for exclusive experiences. Microsoft is still feeling the legacy of depression-tier investment during the Xbox One era, but with gargantuan investments in the space, their fortunes should change very quickly in the coming months and years alee.

Third-party games will remain a big pillar of their effort with Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft noted that ID@Xbox indie developers have earned over $2 billion dollars since the platform launched, with over two,000 titles launched. Microsoft shared with u.s. that they take a goal to hit 1 new outset-party game into Xbox Game Pass for every single quarter, which underpins their efforts to acquire more studios. In order to achieve that sort of release schedule, you really would need far more than the 23 studios Microsoft has under its wing at present. We've certainly started hearing rumblings that at that place's a significant effort to acquire more than studios to that cease.

Microsoft has a long way to go before coming together the likes of Sony and Nintendo for platform users, but this is arguably the first time since the Xbox 360 days that Microsoft has sported such a competitive, cohesive strategy that not only delivers heaps of value for Xbox consumers in the ecosystem, also as developers hoping to share their creations. All of this hinges on the games though, and to learn more than about that, y'all'll have to tune in on June thirteen for the Xbox E3 2022 showcase.

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