Xbox partners with unlikely companies to show you (almost) everything is an Xbox

Xbox partners with unlikely companies to show you (almost) everything is an Xbox

What you need to know

  • Microsoft has launched a new marketing campaign, with a focus on showing all the different devices that can be used an Xbox thanks to Game Pass and Cloud Gaming.
  • The ad is more than a bit tongue-in-cheek, showing everyday objects and items that aren’t an Xbox, while labelling any hardware that can be used with Xbox Game Pass and/or Xbox Cloud Gaming as an Xbox.
  • This comes as Microsoft is renewing its push into Cloud and mobile gaming, with the ability for players to play their owned games on Android mobile devices planned to roll out starting later this month.

As someone who has spent countless hours gaming on various devices throughout my life, I find Microsoft’s “This is an Xbox” ad campaign to be both amusing and insightful. Having grown up with consoles like the NES, SNES, PlayStation, and Xbox, I can appreciate the evolution of what constitutes a gaming device.


Your TV? An Xbox. Your phone? An Xbox. Your laptop? Believe it or not, an Xbox!

That’s the idea behind Microsoft’s new “This is an Xbox” ad campaign that the company officially unveiled (via Xbox Wire) on Thursday. The ad shows that in addition to the expected Xbox Series X|S consoles, there’s a wide range of devices such as Amazon Fire TV sticks, Samsung Smart TVs and Meta Quest 3 headsets that can be used as an Xbox via software support like the Xbox PC app, Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

You can take a look at the live-action ad below:

Amusing, but I see the point

It’s possible that some fans of the Xbox console might find themselves raising an eyebrow, but I genuinely appreciate the message this advertising campaign is conveying.

Microsoft aims to connect with millions more gamers who currently cannot be targeted through console sales, so instead, they’re focusing on meeting these gamers where they already spend their time – across various devices.

It’s even more evident now that console exclusivity is becoming less relevant to the people who control these platforms. Microsoft seems to be spearheading this change, with games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and DOOM: The Dark Ages being released simultaneously on PlayStation 5, Xbox, and PC. On the other hand, Sony appears to be gradually embracing multi-platform releases, taking shorter timeframes to bring hits like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 to PC and publishing LEGO Horizon Adventures directly on Nintendo Switch on its first day.

I remain curious to see where this all leads.

Read More

2024-11-14 19:08