Microsoft’s controversial ‘This is an Xbox' campaign may have been killed off

• 👋 Microsoft appears to have ended its “This is an Xbox” marketing campaign

• 🤷‍♂️ The campaign aimed to promote Xbox Cloud Gaming by suggesting various non-console devices were equivalent to an Xbox

• 😤 Many fans disliked the campaign, feeling it devalued the Xbox Series X|S consoles

• 👍 Discontinuing the polarizing campaign will be seen as a positive step for the Xbox brand, particularly ahead of the next-generation hardware releasing

Microsoft has apparently ended its polarizing “This is an Xbox” marketing campaign, which basically tried to convince gamers that their phone, PC, TV, VR headset, laptop, or whatever device could run Xbox Cloud Gaming was the equivalent of owning a console.

Unsurprisingly, most Xbox fans hated the campaign, as it felt like it devalued the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles, which haven’t exactly flown off the shelves. As of writing, the YouTube video for the advert has 9.4k likes but 7.4k dislikes.

The tongue-in-cheek nature of the ads may have been well-intentioned, but being able to access Xbox games on a device doesn’t make it an Xbox – at least not to the majority of people – and it seems like Microsoft may have got the message.

It looks like Microsoft has quietly done away with the controversial campaign, as if you search for the “This is an Xbox” tagline on Xbox, you won’t find anything. This could mean the ads have simply run their course, or it may have been an early decision from Microsoft’s new CEO of gaming, Asha Sharma, to end the marketing push.

While Microsoft is steadfast in its approach to make Xbox games accessible across multiple devices, calling an Amazon Fire TV stick “an Xbox” was too much for most people. An Xbox is, and should be, a console that sits under your TV. The rest are simply devices that allow you to access Xbox games in a different way.

Microsoft will need to reposition Xbox Project Helix, its next-generation hardware, as something gamers need to buy. That’ll prove to be a tricky task, especially after the reputational damage the Xbox brand has suffered this generation. However, if Microsoft is no longer classifying everything as an Xbox, that’s at least a start.

Up next: Microsoft looks set to revive its backwards compatibility program for Xbox’s 25th anniversary

Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.