• With rumours circling that Xbox may abandon exclusive releases in favour of releasing titles for all platforms, Xbox will speak this week.
• A trio of high ranking individuals will host an Official Xbox Podcast this week.
• The podcast will “share updates on the Xbox business” this Thursday at 22:00 SAST.

So far, Microsoft’s Xbox and PC exclusives have failed to ignite a spark among gamers. Despite the software behemoth assembling an Infinity Gauntlet of developers, titles like Redfall and Starfield have failed to impress like so many Nintendo and PlayStation exclusives have.

This has lead to folks wondering out loud if Microsoft would drop the “exclusive” suffix and spread its wings to launch titles on more than just the Xbox and PC. For weeks rumours have circulated that Microsoft intends to launch its titles on more consoles and last week,chief executive officer of Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer seemingly had enough of the rumours.

“We’re listening and we hear you. We’ve been planning a business update event for next week, where we look forward to sharing more details with you about our vision for the future of Xbox. Stay tuned,” Spencer wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

That update will be delivered on 15th February via the Official Xbox Podcast. This podcast will see Spencer, Sarah Bond – president of Xbox – and Matt Booty – president of game content and studios. That is a rather star-studded line-up and will likely serve to fuel more rumours ahead of Thursday’s broadcast. The podcast will be available from 22:00 SAST.

Xbox fans are livid at the idea that Microsoft would include other consoles in its release schedule. Frankly, it’s a bizarre line to take.

Diversifying income streams is something even Sony does with the PlayStation. While the console has its exclusives, in recent years those exclusives have made their way to PC. But Xbox fans are a special bunch and there are conversations about Xbox’s value plummeting because of a rumoured move to release games on more platforms. Some have even gone so far as to say that if Microsoft releases the likes of Hi-Fi Rush on PlayStation, competition in the video game space will be over. Just look at the responses to the post on X embedded below to

Frankly, Microsoft has more to gain by making its titles available on more consoles than holding on to the draconian concept of exclusives. As a company that lives and dies on revenue growth – like so many tech firms – Microsoft needs to make the most money it can and so, releasing titles from its stable on as many platforms as possible makes business sense.

While there is arguably some danger in this move in that console owners could move to PlayStation and enjoy all exclusives, we think that so long as folks are buying games made by Microsoft, that’s a win.

Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long to see what Microsoft’s plans are. You can find the Official Xbox Podcast on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts.