Xbox is 'dead', and gamers are furious

One of the original founding members of Xbox has said the platform is “dead”.

With Xbox launching new collaborations with companies like Asus and Meta, and launching new hardware such as the ROG Xbox Ally, it’s clear that the company’s platform strategy has changed in the last decade.

Now, it’s more about getting Xbox software onto as many platforms as possible. Microsoft envisions a future where Xbox is something you can access on your console, your TV, your PC, your phone, or even your VR headset.

A new video released by Laura Fryer, who was a producer for the original Xbox, reveals that she believes Xbox as we know it is “dead” [thanks, IGN].

“There is literally no reason to buy this handheld,” Fryer said when referring to the ROG Xbox Ally. “Obviously, as one of the founding members of the Xbox team, I'm not pleased with where things are today.

“I don't love watching all of the value that I helped create slowly get eroded away. I'm sad because, from my perspective, it looks like Xbox has no desire — or literally can't — ship hardware anymore. So, this partnership is about a slow exit from the hardware business completely. Personally, I think Xbox hardware is dead.”

She then goes on to question what the long-term strategy is for Xbox, especially with Game Pass.

“But what is the long-term plan?” she added. “Where are the new hits? What will make people care about the Xbox 25 years from now?”

On social media, fans are in agreement that Xbox has been on a downward slope since the release of the Xbox One.

“I'll die on the hill that the Xbox consoles would've done appreciably better if Microsoft hadn't insisted on giving them such confusing names,” wrote one fan.

“I'll never understand the aversion to using sequential numbers to denote new generations,” another fan wrote. “PlayStation has never had issues with people telling which one the newest PlayStation is OR when a new console is out.”

With the 25th anniversary of Xbox looming next year, we’ll wait and see what Microsoft has in store for the platform. There are hints about a new Halo in development, which would slot in nicely with the milestone.