The gaming world has changed quite a bit since the original Xbox came out in November 2001, and although the PlayStation 2 eclipsed it as the best-selling gaming console of all time, at least it fared better than the Dreamcast.
Making a name for itself with the likes of Halo: Combat Evolved, Psychonauts, Kung Fu Chaos, and more, the Xbox has continued to keep an impressive legacy as Microsoft keeps churning out consoles and acquiring gaming studios. Although some think the console wars have died down, you only need to ask a gamer whether they prefer playing on PlayStation or Xbox to see a bitter rivalry in action.
Still, while Sony has continued to largely dominate with the PlayStation 5 when compared to the sales of the Xbox Series, there are concerns that Microsoft will move away from hardware to a wholly software-based digital model.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has confirmed they lose up to $200 on every Xbox Series sold, but with a 'loss leader' mentality, it's never been too much of a worry.
Advert
After all, the ROG Xbox Ally being tipped to come in at an eye-watering $1,000 should claw Microsoft back some money.
According to Xbox founding member Laura Fryer, she thinks something will have to change if the gaming giant is going to survive. A concerned Fryer admitted: "Personally, I think Xbox hardware is dead."
Posting on her personal YouTube (via IGN), a disappointed Fryer added: "Xbox has finally landed on a strategy, a plan for the future of Xbox. It's the Xbox Anywhere plan, they're betting the entire business on Game Pass and leaving the hardware innovation to their partners at Asus."
Advert
Continuing to call out the current state of Xbox, Fryer complained: "This wasn't surprising. Hardware is expensive to make. It's much easier to slap an Xbox sticker on an existing piece of hardware and call it day."
Nothing was safe from the former Xbox beau, saying that Game Pass and playing games on any device is "marketing, it's style not substance."
Calling out a sad state of affairs, she suggests that the mantra of competing with Sony's market dominance has been lost. Xbox appealed to fans because it was simpler than PC gaming, where different specs could wildly affect your gameplay experience.
Notably, Fryer says there's no point in splashing out on the ROG Xbox Ally.
Advert
The reaction to Fryer's musings has been one of support for her and hostility for Microsoft, as the comments on her video were filled with vitriol against what the Xbox has become.
One gamer wrote: "As a game developer who has been made redundant by Microsoft TWICE in my career so far, I watch what is happening to Xbox from an unusual perspective. I really want it to succeed, despite my personal history, but it looks like they are exiting hardware and forgetting how to do software. What are they even good at anymore?"
Another added: "Remember. If everything is an Xbox, then nothing is an Xbox."
A third concluded: "A big part of me feels sad about this. The original Xbox and the 360 were beloved here in Mexico, and there's a lot of Halo and Gears fans in here. And yet, seeing what it has become is just sad. Thank you so much for your insights."