Xbox CEO: Xbox needs more third-party game stores to compete with PCs

Phil Spencer, CEO of Gaming at Microsoft, has a bold vision for the future of Xbox: breaking down the walls between consoles and allowing players to purchase games from various stores, not just the official Xbox storefront. Ahem ahem, Apple, ahem ahem.

In an interview with Polygon, Spencer expressed his frustration with the currently closed ecosystems in console gaming, where players are limited to buying games through the console maker’s store. He wants a future where Xbox players can access stores like Epic Games Store and Itch.io directly on their consoles, similar to the freedom PC gamers enjoy. Spener also hinted at an Xbox handheld device.

Spencer believes this openness would benefit all parties involved. Gamers would have more choices and potentially better deals due to competition among stores. Game developers would reach a wider audience. And console makers, like Microsoft, could attract more players by offering a more PC-like experience.

The traditional console business model, where consoles are sold at a loss with the expectation of recouping the cost through game sales, is becoming unsustainable, according to Spencer. He points to the slowing down of Moore’s Law, which made hardware advancements cheaper in the past, and the growing popularity of PC and handheld gaming as factors that challenge the current model.

To grow the console market, Xbox will need to be more like PC.

If Spencer’s vision happens to come true, Xbox players might soon see a time when they can boot up their consoles and browse through multiple game stores, just like PC gamers do today.

More here.