Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft's Xbox business, said there will be an app for smart TVs that will allow players to play Xbox games without a console "within 12 months."
Spencer, speaking on The Verge's Decoder podcast, was asked about the challenges of releasing a minimum spec Xbox app for smart TVs. But the answer was "nothing".
"I believe there will be an Xbox app within the next 12 months," Spencer replied. "I don't think there is anything stopping us from achieving that."
Spencer didn't give specifics about the app, but he hinted last month at a business model for distributing "streaming sticks" that let you play games on your TV without a console. Plug the device into your TV and you can stream games through xCloud. Spencer said, "You could even consider including it in your Xbox Game Pass subscription."
It's not clear if Microsoft's future approach will be an app, a stick, or both, but if you adopt both at the same time, you'll be able to download apps on high-end TVs and download apps on lower-end TVs. Plug in the device and you're ready to play Xbox games.
On the other hand, Spencer stresses that streaming doesn't mean the end of Microsoft's dedicated gaming consoles, and that the Xbox Series X/S "doesn't look like it will be the last major piece of hardware we'll put out there." talking to
Instead, Spencer sees a hybrid of console computing power and streaming as the future of Xbox.
“If you think about xCloud, the Microsoft version of (Google) Stadia or (Amazon) Luna, the evolution needed is games that can run in a hybrid environment between cloud and local processing power, and that those games can actually I think it's about being able to take full advantage of the available cloud, while also being able to take full advantage of the edge computing power of the console at home.It's really a hybrid of the two."
"I don't think that the result will be 'everything will be a terminal server at home and all games will run completely on the cloud'. When I think about the evolution of game platforms, I think Our goal is rather a hybrid gaming platform that crosses edge computing and cloud computing."
With the current Xbox Series X/S sold out worldwide, if given the option to stream Xbox games directly to your TV, many would prefer it.
For more on the future of Xbox and game consoles, stay tuned to IGN JAPAN.
