This threat has apparently contributed to the current situation in which the Xbox team “now largely controls the direction of the project’s operating system, Fortune writes, although Sharma said the two groups still work closely. Fortune also reports that Microsoft has been pressuring the hardware team to move up deadlines for Project Helix hardware “by at least several months,” in part by using AI tools where appropriate.
The profile also cites “people familiar with the strategy” in reporting that Xbox Game Pass will soon move to a tiered “a la carte” structure that will allow subscribers to choose “add-ons for console-only gaming, cloud gaming, and multiplayer.” This would be an interesting change from the current Game Pass plans, which all include some level of cloud-based games, console exclusives, and console multiplayer, even for gamers who don’t use them.
Elsewhere in the extensive profile, Fortune addresses concerns from “multiple current and former staff members” that Sharma was put in place simply to make painful cuts ahead of the impending sale of an Xbox Group spinoff. But the article also quotes Microsoft executive Judson Althoff, who opposes the idea, saying: “We wouldn’t put (Sharma) on a company that we intend to sell. There’s going to be a ton of speculation about all of this. Time will tell.”
Gn tech
