CEO of Microsoft Gaming and head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, recently said that Xbox has no plans to get rid of physical media.
Game File‘s Stephen Totilo spoke with Phil Spencer on all things Xbox, ranging from job cuts and AI to cloud gaming and Game Pass. But in particular, Totilo asked Spencer about whether Xbox plans to move away from physical media.
“I will say our strategy does not hinge on people moving all-digital,” Spencer said during the interview. “And getting rid of physical, that’s not a strategic thing for us.”
Last month, Microsoft laid off 1,900 employees, and reportedly, some of those job cuts at Xbox impacted its games to physical retail department, creating further concern about the future of physical media on Xbox. A leaked concept of an Xbox Series X refresh featuring a cylindrical design with no disc drive added fuel to these rumours. Speaking about the leaks last year, Spencer posted on X (formerly Twitter) saying, “so much has changed.”
Based on Spencer’s comments here, he appears to alleviate concerns about Xbox getting rid of physical media for the time being. However, Spencer admits that most of its customers buy games digitally.
“We ship games physically and digitally,” Spencer said during the interview. “And I think our job in running Xbox is to deliver on the things that a majority of the customers want. And right now, a majority of our customers are buying games digitally.”
Even with the market dominance of digital media, Spencer’s comments give some hope for physical media to live on at Xbox. For the full interview with Phil Spencer, check out Game File.
Source: Game File
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