The first of these priorities is hardware, which encompasses a few things such as stabalising the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S generation, delivering a great next-gen console in Project Helix, and more.
- Stabilize Gen9 as a healthy and high-quality base
- Deliver Project Helix to lead in performance and play your console and PC games
- Lead in comfortable, personal, high-performance accessories
- Build a strong ecosystem that expands choice and reach
Next up is content, for which Sharma and Booty want to grow and extend Xbox's first-party portfolio, evolve their third-party partnerships, expand into new and emerging markets, and evolve certain "creator-centric" games like Minecraft:
- Grow and extend an enduring portfolio of franchises players love
- Evolve our 3P partnerships and strengthen our 5-year slate
- Expand into China, emerging markets, and mobile-first audiences
- Maintain and grow in live games and long-term stewardship
- Elevate creator-centric platforms like Minecraft, The Elder Scrolls, and Sea of Thieves
The experience side of things relates to both consumers and developers, with a big focus on "discovery, customization, social and personalization" — something that's also mentioned earlier in the statement.
- Fix the fundamentals for players and partners
- Make Xbox the best place for developers and creators to build and grow
- Overhaul discovery, customization, social and personalization to connect the community
And finally, the services section is perhaps the most interesting of the lot. Not only does it mention that Game Pass needs to be "fortified" and the business needs to return to "durable growth", but it also references using "M&A deliberately" — M&A means Mergers and Acquisitions, so perhaps more studio purchases are on the cards.
- Fortify Game Pass with clear differentiation and sustainable economics
- Return the business to durable growth with strong cost discipline
- Make cloud play feel native, fast, and reliable across TVs and low-cost devices
- Use M&A deliberately to accelerate growth where organic paths are too slow
Again, as we've said elsewhere on Pure Xbox, the bottom of this section notes how exclusivity is being reevaluated at Xbox, along with windowing and AI. Sharma and Booty say they will "share more as we learn and decide" on these.
There's a lot to take in here, and at first glance there are some things we love and some we don't love as much — the stuff about Gen9, Project Helix, first and third-party partnerships, and fixing the fundamentals being areas that we're particular fans of — but ultimately it's all just words on a page for now, and it'll take time to see how it's implemented.
Our biggest takeaway is just how transparent they're being about all of this though. In recent years, it's felt like Xbox has tried to hide away and almost pull the wool over our eyes at times, but this is very much a different approach, and we're grateful for such clarity over what Sharma and Booty are trying to achieve. Let's hope it goes well!
