I had to scrap the entire first draft of the Windows Wrap this week because Phil Spencer retired. That alone would’ve been enough news for a month. On top of Spencer retiring, Microsoft appointed Asha Sharma as CEO of Microsoft Gaming, putting her in charge of Xbox, Bethesda, Activision Blizzard, and King.
That’s the biggest leadership shake-up Xbox has seen in over a decade, and it instantly set off a debate: “Is she even a gamer?”
People dug through her Xbox history, analyzed her posts on X, and tried to determine whether her replies were written by her or by Copilot. I’m sure someone out there is already investigating whether she’s ever lined up at a midnight launch or has a preferred flavor of Mountain Dew.
But here’s the thing: I don’t care if the Xbox CEO is a gamer. I care if she puts gamers first.
Considering the next Xbox is essentially a PC, the person placed in charge of all Microsoft gaming is very much connected to Windows.
Sharma’s résumé surprised people. It includes major roles at Meta, Instacart, and Home Depot. Many assumed Sarah Bond was next in line. But whether Sharma has 10,000 hours in Halo isn’t what matters.
What she does need to have is perspective. What matters if she does the following:
- Puts gamers in the roles that actually require gamers.
- Listens to the community instead of treating feedback as noise.
- Understands that Xbox is more than a balance sheet.
Gaming is art, after all, and art requires artists. But the CEO doesn't need to be one of them.
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My biggest concern isn’t whether Sharma plays games, it’s whether she understands the value of the things that don’t make money.
When Microsoft closed Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog Games, and Tango Gameworks, the company killed several of its best new franchises. My colleague Samuel Tolbert argued that the closing of those studios signified "a death of creativity."
Sometimes the most important parts of the Xbox ecosystem aren’t profitable. The Xbox Adaptive Controller is invaluable, for example.
If Sharma can see the forest for the trees, protect creativity, empower gamers, and resist the pressure to turn Xbox into a spreadsheet — then Microsoft will have made the right choice.
That’s the “if” that will define the next decade of Xbox.
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