Xbox Head Asha Sharma Tackles Player Frustrations in Memo
Xbox leader Asha Sharma shares a memo addressing player frustrations over features, pricing, and platform fragmentation while naming daily active players as the new focus. The 16-point plan emphasizes console stability, multi-platform expansion, affordability, and reassessing exclusivity amid industry challenges.
Sharma highlights industry headwinds, including fierce PC competition, live-service platforms like Roblox and Fortnite, and stagnating growth outside China—echoing Matthew Ball's 2026 gaming report. She positions console as core but no longer sufficient alone, with PC, mobile, and cloud as vital extensions. Xbox aims to be affordable, personal, and open, potentially broadening Project Helix beyond high-end pricing.
The platform's new north star: daily active players, totaling 500 million across Microsoft properties from Candy Crush on smartphones to Game Pass streaming of Plants vs. Zombies.
Her 16-point plan includes stabilizing Gen9 hardware, pursuing acquisitions where needed, and achieving durable growth with strong cost discipline. Sharma plans a studio tour to reevaluate exclusivity, windowing, and AI approaches.
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