Microsoft’s latest development will eliminate the need for the use of consoles by its gaming users.
Tech giant Microsoft announced on Thursday that it would release an Xbox app for smart TVs. This latest development would enable consumers to stream Xbox video games even if they don’t own consoles.
Microsoft added that it would make the app available on Samsung’s 2022 smart TVs before expanding to other manufacturers. This latest development is a huge leap for Microsoft after its Xbox’s hardware revenue jumped 92% last year. The tech giant added that the app would be available starting June 30 in 27 countries.
A Microsoft spokesperson told CNBC that;
“We have made the decision to pivot away from the current iteration of a streaming device codenamed Keystone. We will take our learnings and refocus our efforts on a new approach that will allow us to deliver Xbox Cloud Gaming to more players around the world in the future.”
The move to launch an app for smart TVs indicates the company’s focus on generating more revenue from gaming content and services instead of focusing solely on consoles.
Xbox is lagging behind Nintendo and Sony in terms of console revenue, and Microsoft intends to make up for this by focusing on gaming content and services.
Last year, Microsoft sold 7.7 million Xbox Series S and X consoles. Meanwhile, Sony sold 12.5 million PlayStation 5 systems, and Nintendo sold 24.3 million Switches.
To enable Microsoft to bridge this gap, the company announced its biggest in the gaming sector after announcing plans to buy game publisher Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion.
In April, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told analysts on a conference call that;
“We have taken share globally for two quarters in a row, and we are the market leader this quarter among next-gen consoles in the United States, Canada, the U.K. and Western Europe.”
By moving off consoles, Microsoft is focusing on mobile devices as it is where most gamers are mostly found today. This latest development would enable over 25 million Game Pass subscribers to stream games from Microsoft’s data centers onto Android and iOS devices.
