Head of Microsoft Studios isn’t interested in directly competing with PlayStation

As we inch closer to the release of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, comparisons between the two are inevitably going to begin sprouting up. Unlike in previous generations however, when console manufacturers would directly target one another, it would appear as though things might be different with the upcoming Xbox Series X. According to the head of Microsoft Studios, Matt Booty, Xbox will not be competing in a “head-to-head bout with Sony”, they will instead focus on self improvement and “continue building characters, stories and worlds that can transcend generations, devices and platforms.”

In a recent interview with MCVUK, Matt Booty sat down to discuss the future of Xbox. Alongside the reveal that first-party Xbox Series X titles will also run on the Xbox One – for its first year on the market at least – the head of Microsoft Studios discussed the relationship between themselves and Sony, and the Xbox’s approach to competition moving forward.

Speaking on the matter, Booty praised Sony, saying that they’ve “done a fantastic job just across the board in terms of what they’ve done with building an audience, selling consoles, obviously, a number of amazing, great games that have come out of their first party teams”. While acknowledging the success of the PlayStation 4, moving into the next generation, Booty has opted to “stay away from framing things as a head-to-head bout with Sony, instead I think that it’s just up to us to focus on three things.”

The three things that Microsoft will be focused on with the Xbox Series X are: “[T]o deliver on the promises that we make. So if we say a game is going to ship at a certain time, we’ve got to get that done, we just need to get better at executing”. Secondly they “need to make sure that we [Xbox] hold the bar high on quality, and that we’re releasing games that we can be proud of and that the fans can be proud of as Xbox exclusives”. Lastly Xbox aims to “continue building characters, stories and worlds that can transcend generations, devices and platforms.”

These goals line up with the strategy that Xbox will be adopting – that is to say – ensuring that fans of Xbox games can play these titles in as many places as possible. While Microsoft’s strategy for the Xbox Series X has now been made clear, it’ll be interesting to see what approach Sony takes with the PlayStation 5.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of Xbox’s new strategy? Do you think it is in service of the consumer, or merely an excuse? Which next generation console are you currently leaning towards purchasing? Let us know down below.

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