The company will focus on Windows 10 and HoloLens

Jun 25, 2015 23:16 GMT  ·  By

For a few months, the team in charge of gaming at Microsoft has been talking about the opportunities that the launch of Windows 10 will open when it comes to the connection between PCs and the Xbox One.

A new official document from the company now suggests that its leadership might not be thinking too much about the home console, as it prepares for some tough choices that will need to be faced in the coming year.

Satya Nadella, the chief executive officer of Microsoft, has delivered a company-wide e-mail to employees explaining the vision that he has for the future, which is centered on Windows 10 and on achievements for all those who use it.

Gaming is mentioned in the document, which has been obtained from an anonymous source by GeekWire, but the Xbox One is not referred to by name.

Nadella states, "We will pursue our gaming ambition as part of this broader vision for Windows and increase its appeal to consumers. We will bring together Xbox Live and our first-party gaming efforts across PC, console, mobile and new categories like HoloLens into one integrated play."

It's interesting to note that the focus is on Xbox Live, the online element of the Microsoft gaming space, and the HoloLens augmented reality device rather than on the Xbox One.

Home consoles might disappear in a few years

Microsoft is clearly focused on the launch of Windows 10 at the moment, and the other tech associated with it, like DirectX 12.

If the integration between the new OS and the Xbox One is successful, a future can be imagined in which the home console disappears entirely, and gamers will get all their gaming from the cloud, on a variety of fixed and mobile devices.

The gaming division at Microsoft had a very solid showing during E3 2015, focused on the exclusive titles that it will deliver during 2015, like Halo 5: Guardians, Forza Motorsport 6, and Rise of the Tomb Raider.

The company has also made the temporary price cut for the Xbox One permanent and has talked about an entirely new user interface that it set to be integrated soon via firmware update.

The Microsoft home console is lagging behind the rival PlayStation 4 in terms of overall sales and has only managed to take the lead in the NPD Group hardware numbers for one month this year.