Microsoft is launching Xbox Gaming on Amazon Fire TV and has released an ad that reinforces the message that you don’t need an Xbox console to play Xbox games.
Having Xbox Gaming on Amazon Fire TV sticks means people can play games directly from the app via cloud gaming. It expands the potential audience for Xbox games and, most importantly, the Xbox Game Pass subscription. All you need to play is a compatible Fire TV Stick, a Bluetooth-enabled wireless controller, and an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to stream Xbox games.
But it’s the accompanying ad that has raised the eyebrows of some hardcore Xbox fans. The clip, which appears to be a riff on the Scream movies, sees a woman answering the phone of an unnamed man who is disguising his voice.
“What’s your favorite video game?” he asks.
“Very funny. Who is that?” – the woman answers.
“Someone who wants to play Xbox.”
“Don’t you need an Xbox for that?
“You don’t need an Xbox to play Xbox.”
“What game is this?”
“This is not a game. These are hundreds of Xbox games that can now be played on the Amazon Fire TV stick. [Laughter.]”
No console? Don’t be afraid.
Xbox Gaming launches today with Amazon Fire TV, where you’ll be able to play games directly from the Xbox app: https://t.co/42ztprdgGw pic.twitter.com/dwuJwWZYs0
— Xbox (@Xbox) July 8, 2024
Microsoft is clearly trying to ease the fears of some about having to shell out hundreds of dollars for a console to play Xbox games. “No console? Fear not,” reads Xbox’s tweet. It taps into the feeling among some hardcore Xbox fans that Microsoft has de-prioritized the Xbox console itself as it works to expand gaming’s appeal to PCs, mobile devices, and now devices like smart TVs and streaming sticks.
While Xbox executives insist the consoles remain an important part of Microsoft’s video game business, the current models, the Xbox Series X and S, have struggled in terms of sales and are lagging behind rival consoles the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. Indeed, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has repeatedly admitted that Microsoft has lost the console war, even as it prepares the launch of new models, a promised next-gen console and a heavily rumored Xbox portable.
Therefore, this latest ad will do nothing to assuage the anxiety of noisy parts of the Xbox community that Microsoft is abandoning the consoles. In fact, some have already said that it’s no wonder why the Xbox Series X and S are selling so poorly when Microsoft itself is sending the message that they aren’t necessary to play Xbox games. This, combined with Microsoft’s controversial decision to go multi-platform with some of its first-party Xbox games, has caused quite a stir in the Xbox community over the past year.
Microsoft, for its part, has made no secret of its big ambition to reach one billion gamers worldwide with Xbox. The recent $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, for example, had as much to do with acquiring the maker of Candy Crush King ahead of the planned launch of a mobile game store as it did with snapping up Call of Duty. In truth, ads like the one above aren’t about the future of Xbox, they’re about the present. Perhaps with the release of the next generation and similar moves from Sony, we will finally see the end of the video game console war and the beginning of the video game streaming war.
The eligible Amazon Fire TV Sticks that can use the Game Pass app are now on sale for the early birds Amazon Prime Day Sale.
Wesley is the UK news editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can contact Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or privately at wyp100@proton.me.
