Xbox fans can rest easy knowing that Microsoft has no intention of removing console hardware, as Xbox boss Phil Spencer has confirmed to Rolling Stone that future consoles are still coming. The company does not plan to remove them from its strategy for the future of the Xbox. That might not have been immediately clear with the new Xbox ad dropped this week. With some fans up in arms over or simply baffled by the choice to promote the brand in such a way.

For those who may have missed it, Xbox released a new ad that very clearly emphasizes the company’s cloud gaming and Game Pass efforts. The “This is an Xbox” ad starts by showing the monolithic Xbox Series X with the words “This is an Xbox” hovering just above it in bright green. The ad then goes on to show a TV without an Xbox connected to it. The words “this is also an Xbox itself” are placed above it. A smartphone and a ASUS ROG Ally X with the Xbox app with the words, you guessed it, “This is an Xbox.” You get the idea.

The new Xbox ad doesn’t focus on future consoles, and that seems to have pissed off some users

Microsoft has refined on its strategy over the past few years to make Xbox games available virtually anywhere. Through cloud gaming on smartphones, through large and small screens and on computers with a dedicated app. And of course through the console itself. Not everyone particularly likes this strategy.

Some die-hard fans think Microsoft should focus on the console and bring in high-end exclusives to help drive device sales. But the majority of Xbox fans seem to be fine. Xbox Game Pass reached 34 million subscribers back in February, up 36 percent from the previously reported 2022 numbers. So clearly Microsoft is making some right moves here. That does not prevent some from being positively confused by how Microsoft chose to go about the marketing.

While the video mostly presents all the ways to play Xbox games, a brief moment towards the end throws in a joke about a bento box. Microsoft’s pleasure is more evident in the static image ad, which throws a few things that aren’t an Xbox into the mix. Kind of weird, sure, but at the end of the day, Microsoft just seems to be having a little fun. And in the end, that gets the point across. You can play Xbox games on tons of different screens.

There is no mention of when new hardware will appear

New hardware is almost always a given, even if it hasn’t been confirmed. That said, Spencer has confirmed that hardware is still part of the plan. New consoles are still part of the plan, though he hasn’t released specific dates. The thing to keep in mind here is that we are at least 3-4 years away from new Xbox hardware. It’s in the middle of the current console generation. So there are a few years left before a new Xbox or a new PlayStation console will replace the Xbox Series X and PS5.

And while Spencer has confirmed an Xbox handheld considered, he also said that new hardware is years away. So now the focus is on Xbox Game Pass. Play games on multiple screens, anywhere. Will it work in the long run? Who knows.