It's no secret that PC gaming is one of Xbox's pillars moving forward. While the Xbox Series X console and Xbox Game Pass may be bigger priorities, generously supporting PC and particularly the cross-platform network it's a part of. This is a subject that Xbox boss Phil Spencer has talked about robustly for some time now. One subject Spencer hasn't talked about much is Sony's efforts to bring more PlayStation exclusives to PC. It seems Spencer is now ready to address the topic.

Xbox recently held a media briefing in which Phil Spencer addressed several topics. PC gaming was one of these topics, with Spencer starting with the typical cross-platform pitch of, "[Xbox is] the only platform shipping games on PC, cloud, and console simultaneously." However, this time Spencer didn't stop with the pitch. He'd go on to directly address PlayStation's efforts to bring games to PC, drawing an implicit comparison between both PlayStation and Xbox's efforts.

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"Others bring console games to PC years later, not only making people buy their hardware upfront but then charging them a second time to play on PC," is how Spencer describes PlayStation's efforts to port previously console-exclusive games. Spencer never states the PlayStation brand directly, but there's no intention to confuse. There are no other Xbox competitors that so clearly correlate to what Spencer is describing.

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What Spencer is describing is very fair, especially in comparison to the efforts and services that Xbox is offering. For Xbox, PC is a pillar of Xbox's game development. For PlayStation, it's an opportunity to consider once a game's console lifespan has dwindled. Xbox sees PC as a parallel platform to Xbox consoles and the cloud, while PlayStation sees PC as a second-tier option. It's to Xbox's benefit to mention that, though it's notable that prior to now Xbox didn't even see PlayStation's PC efforts as worthy of mention.

It's worth acknowledging that the difference in philosophies for PC between Xbox and PlayStation runs deeper than what Spencer is describing. PlayStation is very clear that the PS5 and PS4 are its priority and that the choice not to bring its games to PC on day one is so that console gamers feel prioritized and catered to. PlayStation wants players on PlayStation hardware, which it believes leads to the best possible platform for games.

Xbox, of course, wants players to play its games wherever they want. It also believes the Xbox console is the best place to play games, of course, but doesn't see that as a reason to limit players' options. It's a persuasive argument from Xbox and Spencer, to be sure, but PlayStation's argument clearly has its fans as well. Though for PC gamers, the difference is clear.

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