Update | According to rumors, Microsoft plans to stop marketing the Xbox in Europe

Microsoft only launched the Xbox app on Fire TV sticks at the end of June giving users a widespread platform to play the latest games without a console or PC. A few days later, Microsoft then increased the prices of the Xbox Game Pass subscription which also enables cloud gaming without a powerful PC. Microsoft is also planning a new gaming handheld which will be very powerful and offer another way to access Game Pass. So if you want to play the latest games, you don't have to rely on an Xbox console - and it seems that Microsoft has also recognized this.

As the well-known gaming insider Tom Warren reports on The Verge reports, indications of Microsoft's strategic realignment have emerged. It is believed that the company will stop marketing the Xbox console in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, Africa) and instead focus on the Xbox Game Pass, cloud gaming and the sale of controllers.

Should such a restructuring actually take place, the main reason for this is probably the declining sales figures for the Xbox Series X/S (available on Amazon for $380). While Sony sold around 300,000 consoles on the European market in May 2024, according to Statista, Microsoft was only able to sell around 69,000 units. Should Microsoft actually stop marketing the Xbox in Europe, a significant price increase could be expected due to the decline in supply and sales by third-party providers.

Update July 12: Jez Corden has other information

Jez Corden, who works as Managing Editor at Windows Central and is considered a very reliable source regarding Microsoft, has commented on the subject. The Microsoft Insider explains on X (formerly Twitter) that he has been informed that Microsoft is not pursuing any such plans.