Microsoft CEO hints at mobile future for Xbox

By Will Fulton July 10, 2014

microsoft ceo hints mobile future xbox ms nadella satya 2014 02 the garage 484 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella spoke about changes in corporate culture and movement toward a mobile, connected world, including allusions to Xbox’s role therein, in a company-wide email.

“The single biggest digital life category, measured in both time and money spent, in a mobile-first world is gaming.” The introduction and ever-increasing functionality of the SmartGlass mobile companion app to Xbox has steadily integrated the console’s living room experience with users’ lives wherever they are. Speaking about mobile and gaming so closely together indicates that this trend will only continue, particularly given the e-mail’s broader theme of moving toward a more interconnected, cloud-based world.

Nadella also praised the flow of useful technology from Xbox back into Microsoft’s productivity efforts, including, “core graphics and NUI in Windows, speech recognition in Skype, camera technology in Kinect for Windows, Azure cloud enhancements for GPU simulation and many more.” Emphasizing the practical utility Microsoft has derived from their gaming efforts indicates Xbox’s security in the company’s new future.

Check out our general thoughts on the message, and you can read the whole e-mail here.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…

Gaming

Best Xbox Game Pass deals: Upgrade to Game Pass Ultimate for cheap

Much like the PS Plus, Xbox also has an online subscription service that is required for you to play any sort of game online. So, whether you have an Xbox Series X or Series S, you're going to need to subscribe to it, although luckily, it's pretty cheap, and it does offer a ton of excellent perks when you grab it. There are three levels for you to pick from, including Game Pass Ultimate, which gives you access to a huge library of games on both the Xbox and the PC, so it's a great option if you also have a gaming PC you like to game on.
Xbox Game Pass Core -- $8, was $13 per month

Game Pass Core is the cheapest tier of Game Pass, but it still lets you access important features, including online multiplayer. Game Pass Core was launched with access to 36 games off the bat, and you can get exclusive discounts on certain downloadable games. If you're on Xbox and need access online, this is the way to go.
1-month subscription -- $8, was $13

Gaming

The most common Xbox Series S problems and how to fix them

Xbox Series S placed on a white table with the controller just in front of it

There haven't been many complaints about Xbox Series S since it launched in 2020. Serving as the more affordable sibling of the premium Xbox Series X, it plays all the same games yet works at a lower resolution – allowing it to carry a nice price tag of $250. Users have reported a few common issues with Xbox Series S over the years, however, which run the gamut from Quick Resume crashing to HDMI-CEC not registering a connection.

Running into problems with your Xbox Series S? Here's a look at the eight most common Xbox Series S problems, along with how to fix them. If you can't fix the problem on your own, things might be more serious than expected. In that case, be sure to contact Microsoft for advanced troubleshooting or to get your console replaced.
Get in touch with Microsoft
Microsoft offers several support routes, so if you don't find a solution in this guide, make sure to reach out. If you encounter an Xbox Series S problem that needs our attention, make sure to tag us on X @DigitalTrends (loop in @XboxSupport, too). Otherwise, you can contact Microsoft using the options below.

Gaming

All cross-platform games (PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)

Two squads of heroes clash in an Overwatch 2 trailer.

Cross-platform support is becoming more important in the world of video games. Multiplayer hits like Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 and Fortnite have pushed crossplay into the limelight, and now most AAA multiplayer games release with at least partial cross-platform support. Finding every cross-platform game is no easy feat, though, so we did the hard work to bring you a comprehensive list of games that support crossplay.

Unfortunately, there aren't any rules when it comes to crossplay, so each game handles the feature a little differently. To make matters more confusing, certain backward-compatible games on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X still support crossplay on the most recent hardware, even if there isn't an official release for that hardware.