The funny thing about VR is there's almost no exclusives most devs are porting to whatever device they can do is not like there wouldn't be games for it.
Also when they revealed the one X Bethesda literally states at E3 in front of everyone we are so excited to finally have a console we can Play fallout 4 VR on so there's no doubt that vr was at one stage in the cards for Xbox.

I really have no clue why they got cold get on a VR system

There will not be MS commercial AR/ VR device until at least 2030. The reason is because MS AR/ VR project is a US deface project. US Pentagon & UK DoD is funding the project until 2030.
As for handheld, there may not be a great global demand for such product, outside of US market.

Gamepass is literally the cure all. They didn’t need exclusives because of GP. Didn’t need engaging single player because of GP. Didn’t need to match sales with PlayStation because GP is on Xbox AND PC. I guess that’s why the scrapped the augmented reality thing they were working on. They knew GP was coming and would cripple its relevancy.

Microsoft needs something for the gaming side. It’s been losing the console war since last gen, against Sony, at least.

I'm honestly surprised MS hasn't created a Surface handheld with Xbox branding. Their games are already on Windows so it's kind of a no-brainer. Especially with the Steam Deck being surprisingly successful, a native Windows handheld could do well.

They barely have a console! Why dilute the waters any further when they already struggle to properly support what they already have on the market?

Xbox definitely needs at least VR support. I don't get why they won't at least implement compatibility with existing VR headsets, for example, the Oculus Quest 2. The Series X is powerful enough to play VR games just like the PS5.
I have a Series X and am still waiting for a VR support announcement. How could it be a bad thing to support VR gaming?

I think it's clear that Phil Spencer should be replaced by someone with a more progressive strategy. There's too much of a focus on Gamepass, and they probably have good reasons to do so, but it's withholding the development of new and exciting features.

Without questioning the content this article is extremely incoherent its purely ramblings at its best at its worst it's not even accurate not objectively but factually Sony has released five handheld consoles is atop a paragraph no one fact checked this?

Because they have no games?

Is not a matter of "they don't need" is a matter of... They can't!!!

They can't even sustain a string of good normal games so even less a library of VR.

You got to give it yo Sony. They don't have trillions like Xbox and yet they are more successful, structured and creat new gaming experiences.

Can't wait for PSVR2.

Because their declining sales and revenue while their competition has best years ever .

The premise of this article is simply delusional.

To think that a subscription model (hey ho) was in ANY way going to preserve your business long-term is insane. It's the definition of stagnation, and the antithesis of innovation. Xbox has been treading water for way, way too long now. In fact, Hi Fi Rush is literally the first glint of life I've seen out of the platform for YEARS!

No matter what happens with PSVR 2, Sony have signalled that only they are willing to be on the cutting edge of console gaming.... it's a huge risk, and that alone speaks volumes about where they're at as a company.

The logic of this is . We rent games so we don’t need more games with VR or handheld .

Lol what a joke of an article.

The reason MS still has no VR device is because it is still incredibly niche due to it causing motion sickness in a lot of people. If it is ever mainstream we are a long ways away IMO. You can't have fast action FPS games without giving a lot of people motion sickness. That means the most popular games just wouldn't work in VR.

Let me guess: Game Pass?

Is that why all of my 30+ aged friends with zero interest in Harry Potter last week are suddenly buying the deluxe edition to play a few days early?

Is that because Game Pass is just overloading them with fun games to play?

Or are they starved for content, and will buy anything at this point to justify their XsX purchase?

I’ll take a $600 VR headset over Game Pass 10 times out of 10.

I’d take a single great AAA title a year over Game Pass, 10 times out of 10.

Gaming is about great games, not alotta games.

Microsoft have never been leaders always followers. That's why they lost out to the ipod, iPad, iPhone, and now Playstation. They have no creative vision and they refuse to take risks.

Well they are definitely in need of something. They don't have anything.

i thought i would get genuine reasons, but all i saw was Gamepass this, Gamepass that.

baflfing.

Yeah, well before Series consoles came out Phil Spencer was asked about VR, on the new consoles, and he said it was "a no brainer". I guess he meant that literally! Guess PS5 will own console VR AGAIN!

The reason isn't GamePass. The reason is business.

It doesn't make sense to push into a market that is flailing and has so little of a TAM.

Incorporate streaming into a headset using an xbox controller so you can set up and play anywhere that way and id be in,

Tell me again how the multiplatform strategy was supposed to fix everything. Look at your results and compare them to Nintendo, which keeps thriving with exclusives. Your loyal fans are gone. And let’s not forget the pile of IPs you purchased only to let them rot.

The worst thing is this is down from last years numbers/expectations which was down from the previous years numbers/expectations. You think about how long “down” has been a consistent part of the communication and you realize those subscriptions are what’s holding that boat together. The price cut of gamespass is still a price raise in a string of price raises. They are trying to use players to offset the missing revenue. Now call of duty is out of gamespass, which is literally WHY they bought the company. To draw people to the subscription. They realized they missed a boatload of money and that wasn’t sustainable. Now you pay for it like you would have if they never bought the company… so why buy the company? Mind you those billions still need to be paid back. Yeah it gives you a chance to say we make the biggest FPS… but the internal conversations must be brutal at high level on topics that really matter. Like revenue. Profitability. And ROI for the shopping spree.

Is this like the 10th quarter in a row they're down 33% on hardware how is that even mathematically possible. You would think their mediocrity would Plateau