In the aftermath of Phil making this announcement, we've seen plenty of negativity surrounding the news (this is the internet, after all). However, Phil achieved some amazing things during his time as Head of Xbox, not only in bringing the community together behind a leader who cared about gaming, but also by performing some impressive feats for the platform as part of his tenure.
So, in this article, we want to celebrate some of the best things that Phil Spencer and his team achieved during his time as Xbox boss. Let's get into it!
Untethering Kinect From Xbox One
Phil Spencer became Head of Xbox all the way back in 2014, just a year after the ill-fated launch of Xbox One. At the time, Phil's mandate was to put the focus back on core games - and to achieve that, one of his first moves was to untether the Kinect sensor from the last-gen system.
Indeed, Kinect was unbundled from Xbox One back in 2014 as Phil took over, meaning folks could buy and use the last-gen system without the need for its accompanying camera accessory. This set the precedent for what Phil would focus on during the generation, and for many of the best things about the Xbox One era to flourish.
Introducing Modern Backwards Compatibility
We can all remember that amazing moment at E3 2015, right? Phil Spencer, buoyed by a positive first year as Xbox boss, was about to perform his biggest mic drop yet. Backwards compatibility was coming to Xbox One, with support for original Xbox and Xbox 360 games.
We've spoken about this multiple times in recent years, with Xbox backwards compatibility still being one of our favourite things about the platform more than a decade later. This felt like a real turning point for Xbox, and indeed for Phil's reign as boss.
Building Xbox One S & Xbox One X
Microsoft's first gaming hardware launches with Phil at the helm were Xbox One S and Xbox One X; a pair of systems that refreshed the Xbox lineup midway through the last generation.
Xbox One S massively streamlined the 'VCR' Xbox One by shrinking down its overall footprint, getting rid of the external power brick and further moving away from the Kinect add-on. A year later, Xbox One X delivered the most powerful console of its time, and one of the smartest designs in the brand's history. Xbox One S and One X were a fantastic effort from Phil and the team.
Going Gung-Ho With Xbox Game Pass
Hot on the heels of Xbox One S launching in late 2016, Microsoft introduced Xbox Game Pass the following summer; a Netflix-style service where fans could access games through a monthly subscription rather than buying them outright.
Game Pass had a promising start, but it was 2018 — where Microsoft added Xbox Game Studios titles to the program on day one — where things really took off. The value proposition suddenly became much more viable to players, and Game Pass turned into a cornerstone of the Xbox ecosystem.
Making Smart Studio Acquisitions Last Generation
During the early Xbox One era, the platform was struggling to get consistent exclusive content out there, and that was something Phil wanted to address. So, starting in 2018, the Xbox boss went on a spending spree to bolster the Xbox Game Studios roster.
Indeed, the likes of Playground Games, Double Fine Productions, Ninja Theory and Obsidian Entertainment were all acquired towards the end of last generation; all of which have been smart buys. The team may have gotten a little carried away with Bethesda and particularly Activision Blizzard, but those early studio pickups were worthy additions to the XGS roster in our book.
Launching Xbox Series X|S In Late 2020
Heading into 2020, hype was high for the next generation of Xbox. The team introduced Xbox Series X at The Game Awards 2019, and all the right things were being said as Phil & co. continued with their renewed focus on core games - now on new, more powerful hardware.
Xbox Series X, and indeed Series S, came out of the gate pretty strong, despite exclusive software again being an issue right at the start of the generation. The consoles were smooth, slick and affordable, and they came with some amazing benefits like super-fast SSD speeds, features such as Quick Resume and so on. Phil had delivered a much better-received console launch than the previous generation (even despite the challenges of the COVID pandemic), and the brand was on steady footing heading into the new console cycle.
Bringing In Consumer-Friendly Features Like Smart Delivery & FPS Boost This Generation
Following a successful launch, Xbox continued to serve its loyal fanbase with a bunch of fantastic current-gen features, including some that set the platform apart as the most consumer-friendly choice of the time.
The aforementioned Quick Resume was a nice little QOL feature, but it was the likes of Smart Delivery, Auto-HDR, FPS Boost and resolution boosts to backwards compatible games that further enhanced the experience of playing on Xbox in the early part of this generation. Phil and his team were delivering incredible value for Xbox players, and we still make use of all of these current-gen features to this day.
And there you have it! Whilst there were plenty of other examples we could have mentioned here, these are just some of the biggest wins that Phil Spencer delivered during his time as Xbox boss. Yes, the last few years have been a little more turbulent, but it's easy to forget just how much good the departing Head of Xbox delivered for fans over the years. Thanks for all of the amazing memories, Phil!
