Xbox Leader Struggles to Clarify Position on Console Exclusives
WHO:
Eurogamer - Asha Sharma is the newly-appointed Xbox CEO.
Windows Central - Asha Sharma is referred to as the head of Xbox.
WHAT:
GamesIndustry.biz - Asha Sharma stated that Xbox's Q3 results showed a 33% year-over-year decline in Xbox hardware sales.
GamesIndustry.biz - Sharma mentioned that the last generation product has had a particularly hard time due to rising memory and storage costs, which have increased by 50% in her first hundred days.
GamesIndustry.biz - Sharma noted that the ongoing memory shortage is a significant challenge for the company.
GamesIndustry.biz - Xbox has discontinued Gaming Copilot and made key leadership changes, including appointing Matthew Ball as chief strategy officer.
GamesIndustry.biz - Sharma shared initial technical details of Xbox's next-generation console, Project Helix.
Eurogamer - Asha Sharma has spent over 100 days in her role as Xbox CEO.
Eurogamer - Sharma stated, "I think it's a tough topic," regarding the future of exclusivity.
Eurogamer - Sharma mentioned that Xbox is the number two publisher in the world.
Eurogamer - Xbox Game Pass price was cut, but Call of Duty was removed from the service.
Windows Central - Sharma emphasized the need for exclusive content and services for Xbox to become a platform.
WHERE:
Eurogamer - The statements were made during an interview at Bloomberg Tech Live.
WHEN:
Eurogamer - Asha Sharma's remarks about exclusivity were made recently during her tenure.
WHY:
Eurogamer - Sharma indicated that successful publishers need to reach players everywhere.
Eurogamer - Sharma's mandate is to make Xbox the number one gaming and entertainment company, not to achieve a 30 percent accountability margin.
HOW:
Eurogamer - Sharma stated that Xbox is looking closely at how to approach exclusivity for each title.
Windows Central - Sharma mentioned the need to learn from similar cases in the industry regarding exclusivity.
(UPDATED June 5, 2026 23:21 UTC)
Xbox's Q3 results revealed a significant 33% year-over-year decline in hardware sales, according to Asha Sharma. She highlighted that the last generation product has struggled due to a 50% increase in memory and storage costs, compounded by an ongoing memory shortage that poses a major challenge for the company. In addition to discontinuing Gaming Copilot, Xbox has made key leadership changes, including the appointment of Matthew Ball as chief strategy officer, while also sharing initial technical details about their next-generation console, Project Helix.
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(UPDATED June 5, 2026 17:37 UTC)
Asha Sharma has been appointed as the new CEO of Xbox, taking on the role just over 100 days ago. In a recent interview at Bloomberg Tech Live, she discussed the challenges of exclusivity and emphasized that Xbox is currently the number two publisher in the world, while also highlighting the need for exclusive content to elevate the platform. Sharma noted that Xbox is examining how to approach exclusivity for each title and is looking to learn from industry examples to ensure success.