People are not going to spend thousands of dollars on consoles: Xbox head hints at "radically new" business models as early as 2026

The gaming division is already preparing for significant changes.

Xbox head Asha Sharma stated that the gaming division is considering new business models amidst a changing console market.

In an interview with Fortune Conversations, Sharma was asked what ideas are being discussed in the industry today that seemed impossible five years ago. The Xbox executive replied that it was difficult for her to compare the situation with the past, as she did not work for the company then, but emphasized: Xbox will continue to actively explore "new business models".

According to Sharma, the modern console market is no longer just about creating "the most premium and high-performance console in the world". She noted that the cost of gaming devices is rising, and it is increasingly difficult to imagine that a mass audience will be able to spend "thousands of dollars on a new generation of consoles".

The most notable part of the interview was the statement that players could see "radically different business models that we didn't expect before, as early as later this year." Sharma did not specify what she meant, but her words immediately sparked discussions among players and analysts.