Phil Spencer has reportedly reassured employees Microsoft ‘won’t stop making Xbox consoles’

Microsoft’s gaming division reportedly held an internal townhall meeting this week, to address reports it could be bringing some of its first-party games to other console platforms.

According to journalist Shannon Liao, Microsoft’s head of gaming, Phil Spencer, told employees that Xbox currently has no plans to stop making consoles, and that Xbox consoles will continue to be part of its strategy, which involves “multiple kinds of devices”.

Publicly, Microsoft has remained silent on recent reports that it could bring games, including its key exclusive Starfield, to PlayStation 5, other than announcing that it will hold a “business update” sometime next week.

“We’re listening and we hear you,” Phil Spencer wrote on X earlier this week. “We’ve been planning a business update event for next week, where we look forward to sharing more details with you about our vision for the future of Xbox. Stay tuned.”

It’s claimed that multiple major Xbox exclusives including Starfield, Hi-Fi Rush and Indiana Jones could be released on PS5, as part of a significant strategy shift from Microsoft‘s gaming division.

Should recent reports prove to be accurate, on the surface the move would represent a significant change in Microsoft’s gaming strategy, which has previously seen it keep its biggest new first-party releases exclusive to its consoles.

Although not officially confirmed, the reports led to a major backlash within the Xbox community, including from notable Xbox influencers with large followings, some of whom have speculated it could mark the beginning of the end of Microsoft’s console business.