Phil Spencer claims there are no cross-platform red lines in Xbox's portfolio

There have been various rumours and reports that have touched on how Xbox will continue to explore the realms of cross-platform launches. The days of pure exclusivity for one of the major platform providers is pretty much a relic of the past, as beyond Nintendo, both Xbox and PlayStation frequently delve into the PC market, and they even often support Switch editions for their latest releases too. We are even seeing Xbox cross a boundary that many Xbox purebloods deem uncrossable, as lately Microsoft has been releasing first-party titles on PlayStation systems as well. Granted, this has been in the form of titles of less cultural importance (like Hi-Fi Rush due to its recency) or big multiplayer offerings that benefit from a larger player pool (i.e. Grounded and Sea of Thieves). While it's fair to say that Xbox fans have been hesitant about this change, it's hard to disagree with this strategy that Microsoft is putting into effect, at least it is until we add some of the legends and titans to the equation.

When the discussion that Microsoft and Xbox might eventually be looking at making Halo or even Gears of War available on PlayStation started doing the rounds, it didn't take long for many Xbox fans to express their discontent. This led to a bit of a scale back in the cross-platform gold rush, and also more transparency in the approach, but it seems now that head honcho Phil Spencer is looking to once again grease the wheels of change, as in a new Bloomberg interview he explains that no part of Xbox's portfolio is off limits.

Spencer states: "I do not see sort of red lines in our portfolio that say 'thou must not."

This isn't the only revelation that Spencer brought to the forefront in the interview either, as he also touched a little on acquisitions and how after the mega $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft is still looking for more companies to add to its ranks. There doesn't seem to be any huge deals coming any time soon due to the fact that the Activision Blizzard merger is still underway, but there could be more smaller acquisitions all the same.

Spencer elaborates: "We definitely want to be in the market, and when we can find teams and technology and capability that add to what we're trying to do in gaming at Microsoft, absolutely we will keep our heads up."

Lastly, Spencer talked about the long-rumoured Xbox handheld console, a device that he effectively confirmed is on its way, but also still a few years from completion.

Spencer noted that while the "expectation is that we would do something", he also affirms that "I think our team could do some real innovative work, but we want to be informed by learning and what's happening now."

Needless to say, it looks like Microsoft and Xbox will continue to make waves in the next few years.