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Windows Central

Technology

Jez Corden

A report claims that Xbox is pulling out of Saudi Arabia and other Middle East regions, and now Microsoft has responded

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What you need to know

Recently, a prominent games journalist in Saudi Arabia claimed that Xbox is planning to exit the country, with potential implications for the wider Middle East region.
Microsoft has been battling rumors about its commitment to the Xbox console platform since it began announcing previous console exclusives like Indiana Jones and Sea of Thieves for PlayStation.
In a statement provided to Windows Central, Ami Silverman, who leads Xbox's consumer said that Xbox devices remain available in all currently supported regions, specifically noting Saudi Arabia.

As long as the sun shines, there will be rumors of Xbox's imminent demise, apparently. Alas, it seems that news of Xbox's end continues to be at least slightly exaggerated.

While traveling back from a recent event (more on that soon), I began receiving DMs from concerned Xbox fans in the Middle East, with a particular emphasis on Saudi Arabia. This isn't the first time I received a wave of messages about Xbox's status in the region, and as we know from previous articles I've written, Xbox isn't always the best at supporting its extended global footprint outside the U.S., although times are changing. Xbox's recent charm offensive in Japan was revealed during the Tokyo Game Show, which displays Microsoft's continued investment in supporting the platform beyond America's shores. This year, we've had Xbox console announcements for Eastern games like Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters and Genshin Impact, although there's undoubtedly still work to be done there.

In any case, that hasn't stopped users from regions where Xbox's footprint has historically been fairly small wondering if Microsoft might exit those regions altogether. Earlier in July, Tom Warren at The Verge suggested that Microsoft was planning to shift Xbox's focus away from regions where it struggles to focus on more favorable markets like the United States and United Kingdom. And today, we had another report that Xbox is gearing up to exit a major market.

The claim: Xbox is quitting Saudi Arabia. But is it true? (Image credit: @MALbsimi on Twitter (X))

Game journalist and CEO of True Gaming over in Saudi Arabia Mohammed Albisimi recently posted on Twitter (X) that Xbox is gearing up to exit distribution of its console hardware in Saudi Arabia, leading to questions about Xbox's commitment to the wider region. Naturally, Saudi Arabia is a vast and very important gaming market in the Middle East, so for Xbox to exit there it would naturally raise concerns about a broader pullback for the platform.

When these rumors initially cropped up, our sources denied that Xbox had any plans to exit Saudi Arabia, or indeed any region where they are presently operating. Always where possible, it's naturally ideal to get official commentary from Microsoft itself. And to that end, while traveling, I asked Microsoft to comment on the rumors, given that they've grown pretty loud over the last few weeks.

Finally, Ami Silverman, Xbox Chief Consumer Sales Officer responded with the following statement.

"Xbox devices are available in all current Xbox hardware-supported countries, including Saudi Arabia," Silverman emphasized. "Console availability may vary by country but Xbox games can be played on consoles, PCs, and on phones, tablets or TVs where Xbox Cloud Gaming is available." Silverman also noted that players can head to xbox.com/regions to see where Xbox will continue to be available, and what types of support you can expect per region.

Naturally, things like Xbox Cloud Gaming are subject to regional data center availability. You'd naturally expect Xbox Series X|S stock levels or indeed any hardware product's stock levels to fluctuate as new units are manufactured and in response to the levels of supply and demand that are present at any particular moment in time.

At least for right now, there seem to be no plans for Microsoft to give up on any of its existing Middle East regions, including Saudi Arabia.

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I expect that the next-gen Xbox console range will enjoy broad global distribution

The Xbox Series X|S range has struggled to keep pace with its competitors, but past-gen systems have been more sticky than usual this time around. Microsoft says it has more active console players than ever. (Image credit: Matt Brown | Windows Central)

It's true that the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S range has struggled to find the sales success of their competitors like the Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 5, but you don't need to be "first" to be successful. Microsoft continues to emphasize that it has more console players on Xbox than ever. Users on past-gen systems like the Xbox One S and Xbox One X have been more "sticky" than usual, given that blockbuster service games like Fortnite, Minecraft, and so on continue to be maintained and updated on past-gen systems.

Still, Xbox and Microsoft have earned themselves a reputation for inconsistency in the hardware space. We have a story up from just this week detailing how the $1500 Surface Duo 2 is now dead, with no more planned Android security updates — making it quite potentially dangerous to use. Given Microsoft's shaky commitment at times, you'd be forgiven for wanting to keep Xbox on its toes on these kinds of issues.

Still, Ami Silverman's statement is pretty definitive that Xbox has no plans at least for now to exit Saudi Arabia or indeed any existing region. Coupled with well-sourced denials on my end, I'm fairly confident to shut the door on this particular rumor for now.

Even if Xbox Series X|S stock levels fluctuate, I still firmly expect that the next Xbox (and maybe even that sneaky Xbox handheld) will launch in all current Xbox regions, including Saudi Arabia.

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