Microsoft CEO expresses desire to end console exclusives

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella expresses his desire to end console exclusives but points the blame at Sony for shaping the market and competition.

During his testimony in FTC v. Microsoft, Nadella discusses Microsoft's cloud gaming strategy and addresses the topic of Xbox exclusives. He states:

If it was up to me I would love to get rid of the entire exclusives on consoles, but that’s not for me to define especially as a low share player in the console market. The dominant player there [Sony] has defined market competition using exclusives, so that’s the world we live in. I have no love for that world.

Nadella's comments come shortly after Sony's PlayStation chief, Jim Ryan, admitted that Xbox exclusives like Starfield were not anti-competitive. Ryan also mentioned that publishers view Xbox Game Pass as "value destructive" and emphasized the importance for Sony to heavily invest in first-party development and publishing to stay ahead of Xbox Game Pass competition.

The battle for exclusive content between Sony, Microsoft, and other players in the industry will continue to shape the future of consoles, subscription services, and cloud gaming.