Xbox has now completely abandoned its strategy of promoting consoles and its larger gaming ecosystem with exclusives. On the other hand, the likes of PlayStation and Nintendo still offer plenty of exclusives despite the concept not being as popular as it used to be.
Xbox’s recent stance shift has also made it so that the gaming giant has often become the subject of criticism when discussing exclusivity. This has happened once again, with the former Blizzard president indirectly criticizing Xbox for abandoning exclusivity.
Discussing Sony’s upcoming $100 discount for the PS5 Pro on Black Friday, Mike Ybarra shared that he would purchase the console due to this deal. When asked why he would spend on a console when he already owns an RTX 5090-based PC, the former Blizzard president shared a very interesting response.
Mike Ybarra explained that he does not want to wait for future PlayStation exclusives moving forward. The executive then noted that exclusives drive sales in a clearly sarcastic tone, which many believe was a jab at Xbox’s recent shift in strategy.
“Imagine that, exclusives drive people to buy a console.” – Mike Ybarra
In the past, he has rarely shied away from criticizing Microsoft’s gaming business. The former Blizzard president has been quite harsh on Xbox initiatives like the push for OEM gaming handhelds. Elsewhere, he has also been quite vocal about his love of PlayStation’s first-party output.
It seems that PlayStation has impressed the executive yet again with its promotion, with Xbox continuing to struggle to earn his appreciation. Perhaps this is why he recently advised Xbox to focus on producing great games in the face of impending competition from the Steam Machine.
Looking ahead, Xbox has various big games planned for 2026. Between Halo Campaign Evolved, Gears of War: E-Day, and more, the gaming giant is expected to fire on all cylinders in terms of first-party output. However, all of these games will be playable on PlayStation and PC, effectively driving consumers away from the already-struggling Series S|X consoles.
