After Xbox’s impressive showcase this past summer, I published an article asserting that the brand’s Game Pass service is its future. I stated that it’s becoming increasingly evident that Xbox’s primary focus is growing its Game Pass subscriber base, connecting this to Microsoft’s long-term strategy of building software and cloud services. Recently, that strategy has become even clearer as Xbox first-party titles are now available on PlayStation and Switch consoles. Now, Xbox is making it clear that the Xbox brand is about gaming and software, launching an entire marketing campaign to educate consumers that they can get the Xbox experience without buying a console.
The “This Is an Xbox” campaign will also feature “This Is Not an Xbox” visuals, rolling out across San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, London, New York, and Berlin. The campaign invites people to play with Xbox across multiple devices, highlighting Xbox’s evolution as a platform that spans diverse screens. This includes playing on PC, with Samsung Smart TVs, handhelds, mobile phones, Amazon Fire TV, or even a Meta Quest headset. Simply put, get a Game Pass Ultimate subscription, and you can play with Xbox, as you likely already own one of these devices.
Xbox is also partnering with various companies to promote the campaign, including Samsung, Crocs, Porsche, and The Happy Egg Co. For example, one of the easiest ways to play with Xbox is through a Samsung Smart TV with the Xbox app, so long as you have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. To celebrate the campaign launch, Microsoft is offering “This Is an Xbox” merchandise through the Xbox Gear Shop, including T-shirts, hoodies, and phone cases.
