Xbox Boss Phil Spencer provided a warm thank you to fans for their support of the Xbox brand on PC and Steam. Microsoft and Xbox have put far more emphasis on the PC ecosystem for the past few years, bringing Halo: The Master Chief Collection over game by game, as well as putting a heavier emphasis on Game Pass for PC.
In a tweet, which references an earlier tweet from June 2019, Spencer said that the community had a right to be skeptical of the brand's PC ambitions, and stated that there was still "more work to do." Spencer went on to say that the Xbox Game Pass PC and Steam team "right now is really great."
The tweet prompted many positive responses from the community, both from console and PC gamers. The brand's newfound focus on bringing its titles to PC — and including its exclusives day one on Game Pass — has been seen as an especially pro-consumer move. Microsoft's approach to the games industry has shifted in recent years, with the company slowly becoming a gaming platform rather than just selling gaming hardware and exclusives.
With the Xbox Series X on the horizon, it isn't clear how, or if, Microsoft will shift its focus for the PC community. Its current methodology appears to be working well, though the Xbox Game Pass app for PC lags far behind its console counterpart. But Microsoft has regularly updated the app, and with Xbox games garnering top-seller spots on Steam, it's clear that Xbox has no intention of abandoning the platform.
That's a good thing for fans of Xbox's games lineup. Console exclusives have long been a sore point for gamers, often forcing them to choose between one console or another. Breaking down the barriers to play a certain game will almost certainly be met with positive reactions, and with crossplay becoming a standard feature in multiplayer titles, it could mean a brighter future for the industry as a whole.
While the PlayStation 4 has far outsold the Xbox One, Microsoft's shifting focus for the Xbox brand has done wonders for its public image. The initial Xbox One reveal was a disaster for Xbox, attempting to offer up a central entertainment device rather than focusing on games. It has since rebounded, earning back most of its goodwill, but the next-gen console battle is sure to be a more interesting affair than the current console cycle.