Xbox's new marketing campaign says phones, TVs, and laptops are all Xboxes

Some fans and critics have criticized Microsoft's Xbox brand in recent years due to its unclear and somewhat confusing approach to first-party game releases. Ultimately, this boils down to a policy that has shifted from a policy where certain games will remain exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem on console and PC to one where everything is up in the air to the point where the next Halo game could be getting a day-one PlayStation release.

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And with Xbox Game Pass on console becoming more expensive with the arrival of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (which is only available on the Ultimate subscription tier), Xbox Series X|S owners are increasingly feeling like an afterthought when it comes to the Xbox brand.

For die-hard Xbox fans, Microsoft's latest 'This is an Xbox' campaign will probably only confuse things even further. According to the slogan, everything from a TV to a smartphone to an Oculus Quest VR headset is "an Xbox."

With sales for Xbox hardware seemingly tanking, many could see this as a pivot away from a hardware-first approach to a services-first one.

"This Is an Xbox invites people to play with Xbox across multiple devices and screens," Craig McNary, Senior Director of Xbox Marketing, writes. "It showcases the evolution of Xbox as a platform that extends across devices, with bold, iconic, fun visuals and a light-hearted tone."

Criticism aside, the Xbox is everywhere message is consistent with the brand's expansion in recent years - from cloud gaming to TV apps to the latest Amazon Fire TV integration. Xbox Game Pass and cloud gaming have allowed Xbox to be used on a wide range of devices, and with PC Game Pass on Windows 11 devices, the Xbox app offers access to a vast library of titles to download and play.

Oh, and Black Sheep's classic, 'The Choice Is Yours,' is a great song choice for the live-action trailer.