Xbox boss sends veiled criticism towards Sony's PC strategy

(Image credit: Xbox)

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has taken a veiled swipe at Sony’s recent PC strategy saying that it is forcing consumers to double-dip on games.

PC has become an ever-increasing part of Microsoft’s strategy in recent years. The parity between the Xbox family of consoles and PC has been getting closer and closer as the brand expands itself past hardware. Microsoft now offers its exclusives across both platforms on the same date as well as offering Game Pass services on both.

Microsoft isn’t alone in moving towards the platform though. Competitor Sony has recently been releasing former PlayStation exclusives like Days Gone and Horizon: Zero Dawn on PC. However, the releases thus far have come years after a game’s initial release and many desirable franchises like Uncharted, Bloodborne and The Last of Us remain absent from PC.

In a press briefing titled ‘What’s Next for Gaming’ shown this week, Spencer spoke about the differences in approach between the two companies. He said: “Right now, we're the only platform shipping games on console, PC, and cloud simultaneously. Others bring console games to PC years later, not only making people buy their hardware upfront but then charging them a second time to play on PC.”

While Spencer did not call out Sony by name it’s fairly clear who he is referring to. As Nintendo has yet to release any of their games to PC, Sony remains the only other major console competitor he could be talking about.

Sony’s approach to the PC market appears to be much more measured, creating hard barriers between platforms. It’s clear that hardware is still the driving force for the PlayStation brand, with PC for now being a supplementary revenue stream.

However, it’s possible Sony’s library on PC might be about to grow. Last month, Uncharted 4 was spotted as part of a slideshow for investors which listed the game as coming to PC. While PlayStation games may not be coming to computers the same day they release, Sony does have a dense back catalogue to pull from and slowly build out its presence on the platform.

If you don't want to wait for console exclusives to finally make their way to the platform, why not take a look at our guide to the best games on PC.

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Patrick Dane is the former Guides Editor at TechRadar. He is now a freelance games journalist writing for sites and publications such as GamesRadar, Metro, IGN, Eurogamer, PC Gamer, and the International Business Times, among others. He was also once the Managing Editor for Bleeding Cool.