Xbox hardware is dying – and it’s not just an opinion anymore. Former Xbox executive Laura Fryer, once a key figure behind the original console and titles like Gears of War, recently voiced what many fans have felt for years: Xbox has lost its way.
In a video titled The Future of Xbox, Fryer didn’t mince words. She criticized Microsoft’s handheld collaboration with ASUS, stating bluntly that there’s no compelling reason to buy it – or any Xbox hardware at all anymore.
“It’s just Windows again,” she pointed out, referring to the ROG Ally. “A stripped-down version, sure, but we’ve seen this before.” And with Microsoft’s games strategy now being platform-agnostic – Game Pass on everything from PCs to mobile to even rival consoles – the idea of exclusive titles driving hardware sales is all but gone. As Fryer lamented, even if Xbox does release a great game, you can likely play it elsewhere.
And therein lies the core issue: Xbox doesn’t ship like it used to. Projects like State of Decay 3, Fable, and Perfect Dark have lingered in development hell for over five years with no updates. Fryer believes this is due to a fundamental breakdown in culture – a loss of the ability to execute at scale, something Xbox once excelled at. From her viewpoint, this isn’t just about hardware – it’s about Microsoft walking away from everything that made Xbox unique.
She’s not alone. Mike Ybarra, another ex-Xbox leader, expressed similar frustration. “Pick your lane and stick to it,” he posted, calling out Xbox’s identity crisis. While some still hold out hope for a new next-gen console – Microsoft did announce a multi-year AMD partnership – the writing is on the wall: Xbox is becoming a service, not a system.
Many fans and critics agree. Xbox’s pivot to becoming a platform like Steam, available across many devices, may be smart financially, but it erodes the essence of what once made Xbox a console worth owning. Without strong exclusives or a unique hardware experience, the Xbox brand risks becoming just a label slapped on anything with a screen and an internet connection.
Is the console war over? Maybe. But for many, it feels like Microsoft simply walked off the battlefield.