Microsoft's E3 presentation isn't for few more days still, but the company has already begun sharing some major plans it has for the future of Xbox. On the gaming front, it has stated that it will be aiming to release a new first-party title on Game Pass every quarter and Xbox head Phil Spencer has explained how the company will expand the Xbox ecosystem and attempt to reach an even wider audience.
Microsoft's pre-E3 briefing hasn't been made available to the public, but IGN has reported on Spencer's comments about Xbox's future, which includes a way to provide access to Xbox games and even its Game Pass service without even needing a console or a PC. For starters, Microsoft is already in talks with TV manufacturers to build TVs that already have Xbox experiences built into them.
Obviously, such a TV would still require a compatible Xbox controller to play the games and, since it would no doubt need to be done via cloud streaming, the TVs would need to be able to connect to the Internet. Aside from that, Microsoft is also making streaming devices that can be connected to a TV or monitor and provide access to games. Both of these methods completely bypass the need for a console, which could be a great way to save money, but it would ultimately depend on how much one of these TVs or streaming devices ends up costing.
Plus, they're unlikely to be appealing to physical game purists who much prefer own hard copies of their games. However, it's only further proof of how the industry is trying to move away from selling physical games and encourage people into embracing a digital-only future. Microsoft is already committed to cloud gaming, with IGN's report also mentioning that cloud gaming will be added to consoles and the Xbox App on PC later this year. Xbox cloud gaming in a browser is on the cards for Game Pass Ultimate members too, but it doesn't have an exact date.
It remains to be seen whether Microsoft will discuss any of this at its E3 press conference. It's scheduled to run for about an hour and a half but no doubt most fans are hoping for it to mainly focus on upcoming games. So far, Microsoft hasn't stated exactly which games will be included, but it's safe to say that Halo Infinite (which is meant to release this fall) will be one of them.
Source: IGN