The path ahead for Xbox

On this episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Zac and senior Xbox editor Jez Corden sit down to discuss the current state of Xbox, and where the business is headed.

It has been a wild month since Asha Sharma took the reins as Xbox CEO. While the team has been working to re-capitalize the brand and bring back some big-name exclusives, the narrative over the last week has taken a sharp negative turn. Between heavy rumors of Microsoft looking to sell off or close down certain first-party studios, console price hikes hitting shelves, and a massive rethink of what the next-gen hardware looks like, we wanted to figure out what's actually going on with Xbox as a business.

In this episode, we break down the brutal economic realities hitting the industry. From the "RAM apocalypse" destroying console profitability to how free-to-play giants like Fortnite and Roblox have completely upended the old hardware subsidy model. We also look ahead at the next-generation "Helix" console, discussing whether Microsoft can actually deliver on its open Windows/Steam ecosystem vision if the hardware costs a grand, and what Sony's shift away from physical media means for the future of discs.