Despite a challenging financial period in the console market, gaming analyst Mat Piscatella believes that Xbox is well-positioned for a bright future. Piscatella, Executive Director of games at Circana, shared his insights with GamesRadar+, emphasizing that Xbox's success lies in expanding beyond its console.
Piscatella argues that Xbox's strategy of embracing other platforms, rather than competing solely against them, is key to boosting sales. He points to the presence of Microsoft products on PlayStation sales charts as evidence of their reach. He notes that Xbox is executing on a plan to extend the reach of the Xbox brand far beyond the Xbox console.
Xbox's promotion of Game Pass as a means of generating revenue is an example of this strategy. Piscatella acknowledges Game Pass's potential, giving both PC and Xbox players access to a diverse range of games for a fixed price. He believes that while Game Pass is important, Xbox needs a balanced approach, rather than relying on it so heavily.
He also points to PlayStation's success in releasing games on other platforms. Games like Helldivers 2 have been highly successful on both PC and PlayStation 5. Piscatella believes that Xbox needs to be more aggressive in releasing titles on other platforms to ensure profitability. With few must-have console exclusives, Xbox is clearly shifting its focus to platform reach.
