‘Pick Your Lane': Former Xbox Execs Question Its Current Strategy
The industry is bracing for a number of reported, upcoming Xbox layoffs, coming in the wake of enormous transformations for the brand, many of which may not be panning out as anticipated.
All these changes and the current state of Xbox have caused a few former executives to chime in about the situation.
The first is Laura Fryer, who posted a 13-minute video titled 'The Future of Xbox' talking about the issues. Fryer is a former Xbox executive and part of the team that made the original Xbox console. Here's what she said about hardware specifically:
'It's one year from the 25th anniversary of the Xbox, and it looks like they're abandoning pretty much everything that made the Xbox brand great in the first place,' said Fryer. 'Let's start with the handheld announcement. I've seen mixed reactions and that has me really puzzled because I don't see any reason why anyone would buy this piece of hardware. Just like the original Xbox, it's built on Windows, a slimmed-down version of Windows, but it's still Windows. So, this isn't something new.'
'There is literally no reason to buy this handheld. 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. The plan appears to be to just drive everybody to Game Pass.'
FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™
Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase
Pinpoint By Linkedin
Guess The Category
Queens By Linkedin
Crown Each Region
Crossclimb By Linkedin
Unlock A Trivia Ladder
Within a day, the former corporate VP of Xbox and ex-Activision Blizzard head Mike Ybarra also chimed in on Twitter:
"Tough to see Xbox confused about who it is and what it should be. Some great people there still. They have to figure out what needs to change …. and fast. I'm a big fan and will always bleed green. Cheering the team on from the sidelines. Pick your lane and stick to it."
Then, responding to a fan about the 'everything is an Xbox' strategy:
'You're drinking the Kool-Aid. You ask anyone on the street what Xbox is and 99% of the time they say a video game console. That is the identity. Period.'
Even current Xbox executives like Phil Spencer have said that Xbox has lost the console war, which is why they're pursuing these new avenues of cross-platform game distribution, cloud streaming and a fundamental push of Xbox Game Pass.
But from the outside, it's easy to see all the holes in this, including the ones mentioned by Fryer and Ybarra. Microsoft has started branding non-Xbox hardware as Xbox-adjacent, like the handheld, and now a recent, temporary VR partnership. They rely on pushing the cloud streaming concept to other devices. They have jacked up prices of Xboxes so high in the wake of tariffs that it's almost like they don't want to move hardware. They maintain they will still make another console generation after this one and have already been teasing it, but other aspects of this strategy, giving most or all first-party games to PlayStation and pushing Game Pass eternally which is clearly running into a subscription ceiling, resulting in major problems that are easy to spot. But it's even more pointed if this is something if even former executives are calling this out.
Hopefully these imminent layoffs are not going to be as bad as predicted, and it's clear something needs to change. Again.
Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram.
Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Microsoft to Lay Off Thousands; Xbox Chief Says Gaming Division Cuts Will Remove ‘Layers of Management'
Microsoft is set to layoff thousands of employees worldwide Wednesday, including some in the Microsoft Gaming/Xbox division. Variety has confirmed the total number of staff impacted is under 4% of Microsoft's global workforce, which totals approximately 228,000 employees. 'We continue to implement organizational and workforce changes that are necessary to position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace,' a Microsoft spokesperson said Wednesday. More from Variety Xbox Teams With Meta Quest to Launch Special Edition VR Headset Xbox's Next-Gen Console to Be Powered by AMD (Gaming News Roundup) Why an Xbox Video Game Franchise Is a Partner in a Major Exhibit at The Louvre Museum 'To position Gaming for enduring success and allow us to focus on strategic growth areas, we will end or decrease work in certain areas of the business and follow Microsoft's lead in removing layers of management to increase agility and effectiveness,' Microsoft Gaming chief Phil Spencer said in a memo to staff Wednesday morning. 'Out of respect for those impacted today, the specifics of today's notifications and any organizational shifts will be shared by your team leaders in the coming days.' Additional details regarding the Microsoft layoffs and which divisions have been impacted (sources tell Variety that the cuts in gaming do not make up the majority) are expected to be shared later Wednesday. See below for Spencer's full memo to staff, which was sent Wednesday and obtained by Variety, announcing the company-wide layoffs and how they will impact Xbox below. Today we are sharing decisions that will impact colleagues across our organization. To position Gaming for enduring success and allow us to focus on strategic growth areas, we will end or decrease work in certain areas of the business and follow Microsoft's lead in removing layers of management to increase agility and effectiveness. Out of respect for those impacted today, the specifics of today's notifications and any organizational shifts will be shared by your team leaders in the coming days. I recognize that these changes come at a time when we have more players, games, and gaming hours than ever before. Our platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger. The success we're seeing currently is based on tough decisions we've made previously. We must make choices now for continued success in future years and a key part of that strategy is the discipline to prioritize the strongest opportunities. We will protect what is thriving and concentrate effort on areas with the greatest potential, while delivering on the expectations the company has for our business. This focused approach means we can deliver exceptional games and experiences for players for generations to come. Prioritizing our opportunities is essential, but that does not lessen the significance of this moment. Simply put, we would not be where we are today without the time, energy, and creativity of those whose roles are impacted. These decisions are not a reflection of the talent, creativity, and dedication of the people involved. Our momentum is not accidental—it is the result of years of dedicated effort from our teams. HR is working directly with impacted employees to provide severance plan benefits (aligned with local laws), including pay, healthcare coverage, and job placement resources to support their transition. Employees whose roles were eliminated are encouraged to explore open positions across Microsoft Gaming, where their applications will be given priority review. Thank you to everyone who has shaped our culture, our products, and our community. We will move forward with deep appreciation and respect for all who have contributed to this journey. Phil Best of Variety Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Sign in to access your portfolio
Tom's Guide
39 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
Is it raining outside or am I just typing? The Wobkey Rainy 75 Pro is the nicest-sounding keyboard I've tested so far
I won't lie, I love a keyboard that sounds just as good as it looks. Many of the best mechanical keyboards sound downright great, but I've never tested one that sounds as outstanding as the Wobkey Rainy 75 Pro. This is, as the brand claims, a keyboard made for audiophiles, thanks to its raindrop-like sound profile. Not just that, but the keyboard is a beast for productivity, with its Kailh Cocoa linear switches and gasket mount design working together to deliver a smooth and comfortable typing experience. The Rainy 75 Pro sports a sturdy all-metal build and a gorgeous, colorful design, and it's got a massive 7,000mAh battery. Also, web-based companion software makes customization a walk in the park. To find out if this is the right keyboard for you, read my full Wobkey Rainy 75 Pro review. Specs Wobkey Rainy 75 Pro Price $139 / £151 Switches Kailh Cocoa (linear) mechanical Keycaps Double-shot PBT Construction Full CNC machined aluminum Mount Gasket Layout 75%, 81 keys Operating system macOS, Windows Backlighting Per-key RGB Polling rate 500Hz Paired devices max 3 Connectivity Bluetooth, 2.4GHz dongle, wired Battery 7,000mAh Measurements 12.5 x 5.5 inches x 1.48 inches Weight 4.4lbs Colors Several including Yellow, Pink, Red and Purple From its beautiful raindrop-like typing sound and heavy-metal construction to its wonderful Kailh Cocoa linear switches, the Wobkey Rainy 75 Pro is a force to be reckoned with. Here's a sentence I've never heard before: the Wobkey Rainy 75 Pro is a keyboard made for audiophiles. Now, I am a self-proclaimed audiophile, and I wouldn't exactly describe this as an 'audiophile's keyboard,' but I'd be lying if I said it didn't sound gobsmackingly fantastic. I am a self-proclaimed audiophile, and I wouldn't exactly describe this as an 'audiophile's keyboard,' but I'd be lying if I said it didn't sound gobsmackingly fantastic. I tested the Rainy 75 Pro variant, which features Kailh Cocoa linear switches, and it retails for $139 / £151. There are cheaper variants available, too: the Lite model costs $99 while the Standard retails for $109, and both come with HMX Violet linear switches. Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the Rainy 75 Pro. Its Kailh Cocoa switches require 45g of force to activate, so they're a little on the heavy side. Combined with the double-shot PBT keycaps, the switches make a lightweight 'thock,' which sounds lovely. The keyboard features five layers of sound-dampening foam and case padding, and Wobkey says that these layers, combined with the PBT keycaps, make a raindrop-like sound. Well, very heavy raindrops, in my opinion, but still lovely. I do enjoy the sound of rain when I'm trying to nap in the afternoon, so I may be biased here. Similar to Keychron's Q-Series keyboards, such as the Keychron Q65 Max ($209) and the Keychron Q3 HE ($239), the Wobkey Rainy 75 Pro's case is made entirely of full CNC-machined aluminum, with a stainless steel support frame and multiple layers of impact damping and sound insulation. This means that the keyboard is extremely well built and will stand the test of time. This also means that the keyboard is heavy, weighing 4.4lbs, making it heavier than the Q3 HE (3.91lbs) but lighter than the Q65 Max (5.33lbs). The Rainy 75 Pro's 75% layout should help you easily carry it in a backpack, but you'll have to deal with the very heavy weight. Adding to the Rainy 75 Pro's durability are its double-shot PBT keycaps, which are more durable and resistant to wear and tear compared to ABS keycaps. The keyboard is available in a few colorways, like Yellow, Blue and Purple, to name a few. I tested the Pink variant, which sports a combination of pink and lavender keycaps, and it looks stunning. South-facing RGB also adds a stunning pop of color to the board. The Wobkey Rainy 75 Pro is primarily a productivity keyboard (it's got a 500Hz polling rate, so not meant for gaming), and it's a beast for typing. This might be the best keyboard I've used for work so far. The keyboard is fully hot-swappable and is compatible with 3- and 5-pin MX switches, so you can change them without de- and re-soldering them to the PCB. As I mentioned up top, I tested the Kailh Cocoa linear switches, which require 45g of force to activate. Although I'm more accustomed to lighter switches, like the 30g Dawn switches in the McHose X75 V2 ($89), I still enjoyed typing on the Kailh Cocoa linears. The keyboard also features a gasket mount design and a flexible PCB, both of which contribute to the comfortable typing experience. I've been using the Rainy 75 Pro for three weeks now and not once have my hands felt fatigued. Keyboard Type test speed (WPM) Type test accuracy Wobkey Rainy 75 Pro 110 96.48% 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard 102 93% Epomaker TH99 101 94.91% Epomaker RT100 99 92.89% Keychron K10 V2 99 92.61% Royal Kludge S98 98 94.48% Nikita's overall averages (all keyboards) 88.75 91.35% I took a typing test at to see how the Rainy 75 Pro fared against other mechanical keyboards I've tested, and lo and behold, I achieved my best typing test speed and accuracy to date, as you can see in the table above. This is a huge deal for me, as my bread and butter relies on typing, so I'm happy to see the Rainy 75 Pro is up to the mark. To top it all off, the Wobkey Rainy 75 Pro is fitted with a gigantic 7,000mAh rechargeable battery, as opposed to the Standard model having just a 3,500mAh battery. Wobkey claims the Rainy 75 Pro can last for up to 900 hours with RGB turned off. This, of course, drops significantly with RGB lighting turned on all the time — although Wobkey doesn't specify the exact mileage. It only occurred to me three weeks into testing the Rainy75 that I hadn't yet charged the keyboard. I'd kept the RGB lighting on throughout the testing process, and the Bluetooth icon on my MacBook indicated the keyboard's battery percentage at 80%. My company-sanctioned MacBook Air M2 comes with a few restrictions, including not being able to download third-party software for security reasons. This is why I need to test Mac-specific software on my personal MacBook Pro M1, or use our shared Windows 11 laptop for software testing. The good news is that you don't need to download any external software or bloatware to customize the Wobkey Rainy 75 Pro! The Rainy 75 Pro, similar to many other QMK-enabled keyboards, is compatible with the web-based VIA app. All you need to do is download the JSON file from Wobkey and drop it into VIA's 'Design' tab, plug the keyboard into your computer with the included (or any) USB-C cable and et voilà: you'll be able to remap keys, record macros, customize the board's lighting and more. VIA is extremely easy to use, too, thanks to its clean interface. The Wobkey Rainy 75 Pro is a fantastic keyboard and there isn't much wrong with it. However, there are no tactile switches to choose from, and annoyingly, the wireless switch is located under the Caps Lock key. If you like mechanical switches that have a tactile bump and nature, I have bad news for you: the Wobkey Rainy 75 Pro comes with linear stock switches only. This means that if you want tactile switches, you'll have to spend a little extra as these cannot be configured when you're purchasing the keyboard. Good news is that there is a plethora of tactile switches to choose from, and they don't always cost a lot either. For instance, a 120-pack of Kailh Box White tactiles is available for $33 / £44 at Amazon, but a 105-pack of Gateron Baby Kangaroo 2.0 heavy tactiles will cost you $63 (£27 for 35 pieces in the U.K.). Just make sure the MX switches are 3- or 5-pin and the LEDs are south-facing. The Wobkey Rainy 75 Pro is a wireless keyboard, so you can use either the included 2.4GHz dongle or Bluetooth for wireless connectivity… but it can be confusing if you're connecting it wirelessly for the first time. Where's the wireless switch? Usually it's located on the back of the board, right? Wrong, not this time. You'll first need to find the switch, which, after reading through the manual, I discovered is located under the Caps Lock key. You'll then need to pull it out with the included keycap puller (or your fingernails if you have long ones). Then you'll need to flip the switch and pop the keycap back on. Then you'll need to press Ctrl + Tab to switch between wired, Bluetooth and 2.4GHz. To me, this feels like an unnecessarily long process for something that could have been easily done via a switch near the keyboard's USB-C port. This could also drain the Rainy 75 Pro's battery as you may forget the keyboard is still on even though you've gone home for the day… there's no physical, easy-to-reach switch, after all. As mechanical keyboards go, the Wobkey Rainy 75 Pro is the undisputed king of the best-sounding decks out there. It sounds downright beautiful, especially if you like a 'thocky' profile. The Rainy 75 Pro offers a wonderful typing experience, thanks to its smooth Kailh Cocoa Switches, double-shot PBT keycaps and gasket mount design. I also really appreciate the keyboard's gigantic 7,000mAh battery life. Web-based companion software also means you don't need to download bloatware onto your machine, and the keyboard's full CNC machined aluminum build means it'll last the test of time. I am, however, disappointed with the fact that the wireless connectivity switch is located under the Caps Lock key, which feels cumbersome. Also, if you like tactile switches, you may be disappointed that the Rainy 75 Pro comes with linear switches only. But these shortcomings seem minute compared to all the things the Rainy 75 Pro does right. It has quickly become my daily driver and, with its raindrop-like sound profile, I feel like a wave of calm washes over me every time I type on it.
The Verge
44 minutes ago
- The Verge
Microsoft is laying off as many as 9,000 employees
Microsoft confirmed that it's laying off as many as 9,100 employees, or about four percent of its workforce, in yet another round of cuts this year, reports the Seattle Times. Employees in Microsoft's Xbox division, known as Microsoft Gaming, are being hit hard by these layoffs, although exact numbers and divisions are not yet known. Xbox leader Phil Spencer said in a message to the team that 'To position Gaming for enduring success and allow us to focus on strategic growth areas, we will end or decrease work in certain areas of the business and follow Microsoft's lead in removing layers of management to increase agility and effectiveness.' These major layoffs come less than two months after Microsoft announced it was cutting more than 6,000 employees, followed by an additional 305 reductions in early June. Microsoft employees have faced a series of layoffs over the past year, including a round of performance-based cuts that have seriously hit morale, according to multiple Microsoft employees I've spoken to. Microsoft laid off 1,900 Activision Blizzard and Xbox employees in January 2024, followed by several game studios closures and job losses in May, and 1,000 job losses from its HoloLens and Azure cloud teams in June. Microsoft also laid off 650 more Xbox employees in September, as part of a restructuring related to the company's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This is the memo that Xbox boss Phil Spencer sent to employees: Today we are sharing decisions that will impact colleagues across our organization. To position Gaming for enduring success and allow us to focus on strategic growth areas, we will end or decrease work in certain areas of the business and follow Microsoft's lead in removing layers of management to increase agility and effectiveness. Out of respect for those impacted today, the specifics of today's notifications and any organizational shifts will be shared by your team leaders in the coming days. I recognize that these changes come at a time when we have more players, games, and gaming hours than ever before. Our platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger. The success we're seeing currently is based on tough decisions we've made previously. We must make choices now for continued success in future years and a key part of that strategy is the discipline to prioritize the strongest opportunities. We will protect what is thriving and concentrate effort on areas with the greatest potential, while delivering on the expectations the company has for our business. This focused approach means we can deliver exceptional games and experiences for players for generations to come. Prioritizing our opportunities is essential, but that does not lessen the significance of this moment. Simply put, we would not be where we are today without the time, energy, and creativity of those whose roles are impacted. These decisions are not a reflection of the talent, creativity, and dedication of the people involved. Our momentum is not accidental—it is the result of years of dedicated effort from our teams. HR is working directly with impacted employees to provide severance plan benefits (aligned with local laws), including pay, healthcare coverage, and job placement resources to support their transition. Employees whose roles were eliminated are encouraged to explore open positions across Microsoft Gaming, where their applications will be given priority review. Thank you to everyone who has shaped our culture, our products, and our community. We will move forward with deep appreciation and respect for all who have contributed to this journey. Phil Developing…
