#278 | Xbox Is Wavering On Exclusivity Again... - Will They Do It?

#278 | Xbox Is Wavering On Exclusivity Again... - Will They Do It?

From Defining Duke: An Xbox Podcast by Last Stand Media & Studio71

May 3, 2026 · 3h 28m · Episode 278

About this episode

The episode discusses Xbox's shifting stance on exclusivity and various updates in the gaming industry.

The Dukes are finally reunited and what a week to do that! In a massive writeup on the Xbox Wire, we are seeing Asha Sharma and Matt Booty practically walk back on everything that the old regime stood for. Exclusivity is back under consideration, the "Microsoft Gaming" label is being ditched, and Xbox is focusing on their console. Just like old times! Perhaps most surprising with this blog post is the clear addressing of pain points for this brand: High prices, lacking PC presence, poor discovery tools, and most notably, disenchanted, frustrated players. The focus now for Xbox is daily active players. What does all of this mean and is this enough word salad to buy into? The globetrotting Dukes have you fine folks covered, so let's dig in. Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at https://www.shopify.com/duke Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:42:20 - Xbox Game Pass “Starter Edition” leaks0:49:16 - Asha Sharma on Xbox Helix timing and pricing0:54:41 - PS5 DRM drama1:07:15 - Valve drops updates on Steam Machine, Controller, and Deck 21:12:56 - Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced…

People in this episode

Host: Duke

Topics covered

  • Xbox exclusivity
  • gaming industry news
  • Xbox Game Pass
  • player engagement
  • console focus
  • game development updates

Keywords

  • Xbox
  • exclusivity
  • Asha Sharma
  • Matt Booty
  • gaming news
  • Assassin’s Creed
  • Valve
  • Blood Of Dawnwalker
  • Alien Isolation 2

Sponsors

Shopify

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Xbox, Microsoft Gaming, Valve, Steam Machine, Controller, Deck, Far Cry

Books & works: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, Assassin’s Creed Hexe, Blood Of Dawnwalker, Alien Isolation 2

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