During Microsoft's annual shareholder meeting, company CEO Satya Nadella was asked to specify what's being done to ensure the Xbox Series X|S stands out from PlayStation 5. Such a question, naturally, comes on the heels of new console releases from both Microsoft and Sony last month. Apparently, the answer is not so clear cut.
New console generations are usually expected to justify themselves rather quickly. This time around, though, the justification isn't as cut and dry. The biggest leap, thus far, concerns the speed of the consoles themselves and the lighting fast rate at which games can now load. It's all impressive, sure. But what specifically sets one piece of hardware apart from the other when both are power houses in their own right? Sony can point to its exclusive content, such as Demon's Souls and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. At present, it seems Microsoft is looking at the bigger picture.
When asked how Xbox plans to differentiate itself from PlayStation this console generation, Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, noted that the brand's focus centers on providing "the best content with the best community." Seeking Alpha transcribed the conversation, wherein Nadella went on to say that Xbox's vision is notably evident in moves such as the continued expansion of services like Xbox Game Pass. The company's acquisition of ZeniMax Media, which should be finalized in early 2021, serves as yet another example of what helps Xbox stand out from the crowd. Nadella added:
"We are absolutely very, very much focused on gaming, and ensuring that all the 3 billion gamers around the world get the best content, best community and the best cloud services to power their gaming experiences going forward."
This could be seen as a strategic way of dodging the core of the question. It's also another example of Microsoft's doubling down on what separates it from Sony in general. The latter spent much of the PS4/Xbox One generation producing several benchmark single-player experiences. Meanwhile, Microsoft used the back half of the very same generation to build and refine a consumer-friendly service.
The benefits of Microsoft's ZeniMax acquisition won't become evident for some time, especially since PlayStation will receive two timed exclusives from Bethesda - Arkane's Deathloop and Tango Gameworks' Ghostwire Tokyo. Regardless, it shouldn't be forgotten that Microsoft has a few heavy hitters waiting on the sidelines when it comes to the console race. With teams like Obsidian, Ninja Theory, and Double Fine as part of its stable of first-party studios, Xbox's future is looking rather bright.
Source: Seeking Alpha