Phil Spencer Says $1000 Consoles Won’t Grow Market Amid PS5 Pro Launch

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"To Reach New Players, We Need To Be Creative"

Story Highlight
  • Phil Spencer is not a fan of consoles as expensive as $1000.
  • He believes the industry is in a good place but needs more growth.
  • Xbox is focusing on a handheld in order to channel its creativity for this growth.

PlayStation has recently launched the PS5 Pro for $700, marking Sony’s most expensive gaming hardware to date. While the console is undoubtedly quite impressive, it can cost close to $1000 when additional expenses are taken into account.

Compared to PlayStation, Xbox decided to skip a mid-gen upgrade this time. Phil Spencer recently shed more light on the subject, stating that he does not see much merit in releasing consoles that cost up to $1000.

Why it matters: Gamers have always flocked to consoles because they are affordable. Prices as high as $1000 go against this key strength.

Phil Spencer Xbox
Microsoft’s Gaming Business Has Changed Drastically This Year

During a recent interview, Phil Spencer discussed various aspects of the Xbox business, including his current stance on third-party releases, future acquisitions, and more.

The Xbox boss is quite interested in handhelds, in particular, since he is currently focused on growing the console market. This part of the industry has been stagnant for many years, and Xbox Series S|X sales are also far from encouraging.

This is perhaps why Phil Spencer is not in favor of $1000 consoles. Instead, he believes manufacturers must find new and creative ways to entice players into the console ecosystem.

We’re not going to grow the market with $1000 consoles.

-Phil Spencer

While this comment was general in nature, it also highlights Spencer’s thoughts on something like the PS5 Pro. The Xbox boss does not seem to be in favor of such expensive hardware and brings up an interesting point about the wider appeal of such offerings.

PS5 Pro Featured
The PS5 Pro Has Been Out For A Few Days

PlayStation has already admitted that the PS5 Pro is designed for a very specific crowd, with the base PS5 serving as the more mainstream option for everyone else. However, the gaming giant has still confirmed that initial pre-orders are more encouraging than those of the PS4 Pro.

Going by Phil Spencer’s stance, Microsoft will likely continue to focus on more interesting offerings that tap into other strengths over raw hardware. The Xbox Series S is one such example, boasting a major pricing advantage.

What are your thoughts on the subject? Do you see any benefits in console hardware this expensive? Let us know in the comments, and continue the discussion on the Tech4Gamers Forums.

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