In a joint statement prepared with Xbox Creative Director Matt Booty, Microsoft's head of gaming division, Asha Sharma, emphasized her commitment to making Xbox "the most open platform" for player self-expression and developer creativity. According to her, the key principles will be accessibility, personalization, and freedom of choice.
In an interview with journalist Stephen Totilo (Game File), the head of Xbox clarified that "openness" means not only the ability to create games but also more flexible user experience customization. This includes expanding customization options and player participation in platform development.
However, the question of third-party digital stores appearing on Xbox devices remains open. Earlier, Epic Games stated that its store might appear on next-generation consoles. However, Sharma did not directly confirm these plans, noting that the company would make decisions in conjunction with partners.
Xbox Ally portable devices, which already offer access to various storefronts beyond the Microsoft Store, were also discussed separately. According to Sharma, she was not involved in previous decisions regarding these products, and now all such initiatives will be reviewed in light of the new strategy.