In case you missed it, during a chat about DOOM: The Dark Ages with IGN, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer snuck in a brief comment about more of Xbox's games going to "more platforms" in the future.
Unsurprisingly, it's raised some eyebrows on social media and other corners of the internet. Here's the quote, which is open to interpretation, although it does follow his explanation about why the new DOOM game is going to the PlayStation 5:
Phil Spencer: "...You are going to see more of our games on more platforms and we just see that as a benefit to the franchises we're building and we see that from players and the players love to be able to play."
Microsoft needs to recover $70 billion from its recent acquisition while also growing these franchises it now owns, so expanding the player base (rather than locking off every IP) seems to be the plan going forward.
So, what's the incentive for Xbox customers now? According to Phil, it is "Day One" Game Pass releases, the ability to "buy or subscribe", and allowing fans to "play" games across both console and PC, with Spencer also committing to "future hardware" and "forward compatibility" within the Xbox ecosystem.
While Xbox has previously stated game releases on other platforms would be determined on a "case-by-case" basis, so far it has mostly been existing series and IPs that have previously been accessible on other platforms with a few exceptions here and there, like Sea Of Thieves.
In the latest update, Xbox also mentioned how its console user count has reached a record high this generation and software sales are up as well.