Xbox Head Phil Spencer Reacts to PlayStation’s Rumored Xbox Game Pass Competitor, Calling It “The Right Answer”

Microsoft is rumored to be rolling out a new competitor for the PlayStation’s premium online service, Xbox Game Pass. Phil Spencer has confirmed that this would likely be Microsoft’s answer and calls it “the right answer.”

Microsoft’s Phil Spencer has reacted to Sony’s rumored PlayStation game pass competitor, calling it “the right answer”.

Windows-11s-VBS-Feature-Reportedly-Cripples-Gaming-Performance-by-Up Image credit: Microsoft

In December, Bloomberg reported that PlayStation officials were working on a new service code-named “Spartacus” to compete with Xbox Game Pass, which would enable PlayStation customers to pay a monthly subscription to access a portfolio of games from the PS1, PS2, PS3, and Vita generations.

Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s president of Xbox, is one guy who did not seem surprised by the news. In an interview with IGN earlier this week, the outspoken CEO said that Sony’s reported service is “the proper response.” While Spencer would not go so far as to claim that PlayStation was just following Xbox’s lead, he did explain why he believes services like Game Pass make sense and are attractive to current players.

“I don’t mean to make it sound like we’ve got it all figured out,” Spencer explained, “but I believe the right answer is allowing your customers to play the games they want to play, where they want to play them, and giving them choice about how they build their library, as well as being transparent with them about what our plans are in terms of our PC initiatives, cross-gen initiatives, and other things.”

“So it makes sense to me when I hear others doing things like Game Pass or coming to PC because I believe that’s the appropriate solution.”

Spencer went on to describe PlayStation’s reported game subscription service as a “inevitably,” citing his prior remarks about how the concept simply seems like good financial sense. The CEO also said that additional new titles would be released on day one for both Xbox platforms and PCs.

“I don’t see it as validation,” Spencer said. “I truly speak about it as an inevitability when I’m talking to our teams.” So we should continue to develop and compete, because the things we’re doing now may provide us a competitive edge, but they’re simply predicated on our being first, not on the fact that we’ve produced something that no one else can.”

“I appreciate it because it keeps us focused on the next things we should be focusing on while we continue to expand on what we’ve already accomplished.” Because I believe that the best solution is to launch amazing games on PC, console, cloud, and make them accessible on Day 1 of the subscription. And I expect our competition to do the same.”

According to Bloomberg, Sony’s new “Spartacus” service will have three levels, the first of which would have current PlayStation Plus advantages plus a library of PS4 and PS5 titles, and the second of which will include a catalog of PS4 and PS5 games, respectively. Classic PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP titles, as well as game streaming and expanded demonstrations, would be included in the third.

IGN is the source of this information.