The age of new Xbox hardware is over. At least, according to a former executive at Xbox.
Laura Fryer, a member of the founding team for Xbox, says Xbox hardware may be on the way out, despite what Microsoft's marketing suggests.
In the aftermath of the unveiling of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally, Fryer shared her thoughts on the future of the Xbox as someone who helped get the brand off the ground.
Unfortunately for console fans, she has offered a harsh verdict.
Here's a look at what Fryer had to say about the future of the Xbox and how the ROG Xbox Ally could shape it.
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"They are betting their entire business on Game Pass"
Fryer has been a leader in the video game industry for decades. While she is no longer affiliated with Microsoft, she shared her expert opinion on the future of Xbox hardware in a video posted on Sunday on her YouTube channel.
Unfortunately for console fans, in light of Microsoft's announcement of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally, Fryer thinks Xbox may be leaving the hardware market entirely, and it's part of a bigger shift across the brand that's leaning more and more on Game Pass and Xbox Anywhere.
Fryer called out the state of things at Xbox right now, saying, "They are betting their entire business on Game Pass and leaving the hardware innovation to their partners at Asus."
She went on to add, "I'll admit, it's a great message for gamers. Who doesn't want to play their games with their family and friends on any device and any platform? But that's all it is -- it's marketing."
"They are betting their entire business on Game Pass and leaving the hardware innovation to their partners at Asus."
While Fryer admitted that Game Pass "has a lot of value," she also pointed out the confusion surrounding which games can be played on Game Pass and Xbox Anywhere.
For instance, the ROG Xbox Ally is a Windows device, so it can't play native Xbox games; only native PC games are supported. The line between those is blurring, but it's still worth noting.
Similarly, the Core and Standard Game Pass subscription tiers for console specifically don't include the day-one releases that are one of the service's most significant selling points. In contrast, the PC version of the Standard Game Pass subscription does include day-one releases.
Fryer also called out confusing moves like this in her video, stating, "From my perspective, the Xbox strategy has been chaotic. So, it's hard to say what they'll do next."
Her prediction for the console's future was grim, to say the least: "Obviously, as one of the founding members of the Xbox team, I'm not pleased with where things are today.
"I don't love watching all of the value that I helped create slowly get eroded away. I'm sad because, from my perspective, it looks like Xbox has no desire or literally can't ship hardware anymore. So, this partnership [with Asus] is about a slow exit from the hardware business completely."
"Personally, I think Xbox hardware is dead."
Is the "future of Xbox" just... PC gaming?
Fryer's perspective on the state of things at Xbox doesn't bode well for gamers who prefer their console to a PC. While Fryer mentioned how cost-effective PC gaming can be when you build your own PC, she also praised the ease that comes with consoles.
They're often less expensive than a gaming PC and, at least historically, easier to use since you don't need to worry about things like driver updates.
With Xbox seemingly abandoning hardware, gamers who want the convenience of a console will likely switch to a PlayStation or even the Nintendo Switch 2.
Even if those gamers want to keep playing their Xbox games, Microsoft has, ironically, made it exceptionally easy for them to abandon Xbox hardware without losing access to their games.
"Personally, I think Xbox hardware is dead."
Fryer pointed this out, too, saying, "Here's the problem: Xbox doesn't do exclusives anymore. Even if Xbox delivers a crazy great game, Xbox Anywhere means that I can play that game on any platform."
If the ROG Xbox Ally is any indicator of Microsoft's plans for the Xbox brand, we could be looking at a future where "Xbox hardware" is just... Windows gaming PCs. Of course, there are some phenomenal gaming laptops out there for those who want to get into PC gaming.
However, it's not the same as a console and it's easy to see why long-time Xbox fans may be disappointed to see Xbox consoles ride off into the sunset.
As Laura Fryer said, "It's one year from the 25th anniversary of the [original] Xbox and it looks like they're abandoning pretty much everything that made the Xbox brand great in the first place."
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