Microsoft's continued investment in cloud-based systems could make gaming more affordable than ever in the coming years.
What's going on GAMERS… Is Microsoft not allowing Xbox to advertise the launch of Black Ops 6 in Game Pass?
Cloud gaming has always been part of Microsoft’s business strategy. Parts of the Xbox Game Pass catalog were made available on smartphones via cloud gaming in 2020, and it’s rolling out to even more devices in the coming years. Products in Samsung’s 2022 smart TV lineup will be the first to see an Xbox Game Pass app appear on their dashboards, though Microsoft plans to continue the rollout to other screens. This would allow customers to access the popular Xbox Game Pass app without an Xbox console, and it could ultimately make gaming more affordable than ever.
“I think Microsoft has the right business model for streaming to work by packaging a large library of titles into a subscription package,” Craig Chapple, mobile insights strategist at SensorTower, told Lifewire in an email. “It makes gaming much more cost-effective, especially if one of the goals is to target consumers who don’t have access to hardware.”
Impressive hardware sales have long been a key goal for gaming companies, but this console generation looks set to change that. It’s also been exacerbated by the ongoing semiconductor shortage, which has made it difficult for customers to get their hands on both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Microsoft doesn’t have to ditch hardware altogether, but it’s clear that Xbox Game Pass subscriptions play a big part in the company’s financial plans.
