At an internal meeting, Xbox head Asha Sharma stated that the previous decline in Xbox playtime has stabilized, and the business is beginning to recover growth. She also proposed strengthening investment in consoles and planning the next-generation Xbox Helix as a family of devices.
Sharma stated that Xbox had previously seen declines in playtime, player count, and revenue. She attributed the current changes to reinvestment in the business, claiming growth has reached two to three times previous levels, although the specific metrics for this comparison remain unclear. She also noted that positive sentiment toward the Xbox brand rose by 30% over the past year, with strong launches for Gears of War: E-Day, Minecraft Dungeons 2, and World of Warcraft: Eternal.
Discussing future directions, Sharma believes Xbox needs to better serve its existing console players by placing consoles back at the core of its strategy. She mentioned continuing to strengthen Xbox Series X|S, while developing cloud gaming, physical-to-digital conversion programs, and Xbox Play Anywhere, hinting that Xbox Game Pass will offer more flexible content options in the future.
Regarding the next-generation Xbox Helix, Sharma envisioned launching the console first, alongside devices designed for on-the-go use. Some products in this device family will be manufactured by Xbox, while others will be developed through partnerships, with more plans yet to be announced.
Sharma also mentioned expanding Battle.net, simplifying the release process for titles on the Xbox platform, and reducing the difficulty for developers to launch games on Xbox Series X|S, Helix, and PC. Specific details regarding Helix's specifications, launch window, and related services have not yet been announced.