Xbox Co-Founder Criticizes Xbox Hardware and ROG Ally Handheld
▼ Summary
– Laura Fryer, a founding Xbox team member, believes Xbox hardware is dead, citing Microsoft’s shift to partnerships like Asus and AMD.
– Fryer criticizes Xbox’s new “Xbox Anywhere” strategy, arguing it prioritizes GamePass and rebranding existing hardware over innovation.
– She claims Microsoft is abandoning Xbox’s original appeal of simplicity and developer-friendly hardware, moving toward a fragmented PC-like model.
– Fryer questions the value of Xbox-exclusive games or devices, as “Xbox Anywhere” allows playing games on multiple platforms, reducing hardware incentives.
– While skeptical, Fryer holds slight hope for clarity in Xbox’s future during its 25th anniversary but doubts a meaningful turnaround.
One of Xbox’s original team members has delivered a blunt assessment of Microsoft’s gaming hardware future, suggesting the brand may be stepping away from console manufacturing entirely. Laura Fryer, who helped launch the first Xbox console, recently shared her perspective on Microsoft’s current strategy, and her outlook is far from optimistic.
Fryer argues that Xbox hardware has reached a dead end, pointing to recent partnerships like the Asus ROG Ally handheld and the broader Xbox Anywhere initiative as signs that Microsoft is shifting focus away from dedicated gaming devices. “They’re betting everything on Game Pass while letting other companies handle hardware,” she says. “It’s cheaper to rebrand existing devices than to develop new consoles from scratch.”
Her skepticism extends to Microsoft’s push for platform-agnostic gaming. “Xbox Anywhere sounds great in theory, but it’s mostly marketing,” she claims. “If every game works everywhere, why would anyone buy an Xbox, or even the ROG Ally?” Without exclusive titles driving adoption, Fryer questions whether Microsoft can maintain hardware relevance.
The critique goes deeper than just business strategy. Fryer recalls Xbox’s original appeal: a simplified, unified gaming experience that stood apart from the fragmented PC market. Now, she believes Microsoft is abandoning that vision. “Developers no longer have a clear target, and gamers lose the plug-and-play convenience that made consoles special.”
While Fryer acknowledges Microsoft’s collaboration with AMD and other partners as a logical move, she interprets it as a slow retreat from hardware. “This looks like an exit strategy,” she says. “Xbox either doesn’t want to make consoles anymore or simply can’t compete.”
Still, she leaves room for a potential turnaround, noting that 2026 marks Xbox’s 25th anniversary. “Maybe clarity will come next year,” she muses, though her tone suggests she isn’t holding her breath. For now, her message to fans is clear: the era of Xbox as a hardware innovator may already be over.
(Source: PC Gamer)
