Cloud gaming has made players wonder if their favourite video game companies such as Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft will eventually stop manufacturing hardware and focus solely on software that can be played anywhere, and without the need of a platform to play games on.
While cloud gaming may be the future, none of the companies mentioned above has openly admitted to wanting to move away from the console market — which is definitely reassuring for those who enjoy purchasing new hardware every generation.
In a recent interview with Yahoo! News, Microsoft's Executive Vice President Phil Spencer has got some reassuring news for Xbox players, as he reveals that the company has no plans to stop producing consoles in the near future.
"One subscription gives you access to your catalog and your community wherever you go, giving players real choice. In terms of future hardware, absolutely, I think we're going to see more console hardware down the road. Just like in-- in video, just like in music, it's not that streaming has cut off device innovation. I think we'll continue to see that, and that's absolutely what we're planning for," explained Spencer when specifically asked about the future of Xbox consoles now that cloud gaming is becoming a thing.
It's interesting to see Spencer commenting on the possibility of Xbox consoles not being produced in the future, after he himself revealed that Microsoft's goal this next generation of consoles isn't to sell, well, consoles, but to give players access to game on the platform of their choosing.
Spencer's statements aren't contradictory, since Microsoft's focus still entails manufacturing Xbox consoles, but it is definitely interesting, not to mention reassuring, to know that Xbox consoles aren't going anywhere, any time soon.