Microsoft made a remarkable change in the writing of its gaming brand Xbox. The brand started using the name XBOX on its official X account after Asha Sharma’s survey on X. The change came shortly after the Microsoft Gaming name was left behind and the game side returned to the Xbox identity. The spelling change in the Xbox brand became part of the new era. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma asked “Xbox or XBOX?” via the X account.
He started a survey asking the question: 19,176 people participated in the survey and 64.8 percent of the participants preferred that the brand be written with all letters in capital letters, that is, XBOX. Following the survey, the use of the brand name as XBOX on Xbox’s official X account was the first visible step of the change. This change does not mean a completely new brand name in the classical sense. The Xbox name is retained, but the spelling preference changes.
Despite this, the decision has a symbolic place in the brand’s recent identity transformation. Microsoft’s first Xbox logo also featured capital letters. The company used a similar capitalized spelling language in the console logos during the Xbox 360, Xbox One and Xbox Series The company left the “Microsoft Gaming” name behind and repositioned the team name as Xbox. In the official statement, this change was announced with the message that the Microsoft Gaming statement describes the structure but does not reflect the brand’s claim.
For this reason, the switch to Sharma took over as CEO of Microsoft Gaming after Phil Spencer left Microsoft and supported the transition in an advisory role. During the same period, Sarah Bond also left Microsoft, and Matt Booty was appointed as EVP and Chief Content Officer. Thus, on the Xbox side, both the management team and the brand language were renewed in the same period. During the Sharma period, not only the brand name was changed.
Microsoft reduced the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from $29.99 to $22.99 and the price of PC Game Pass from $16.49 to $13.99. The company also stated that these prices may vary depending on the region. This step shows that the subscription structure on the Xbox side has been reconsidered in the new period. Another important decision on the Xbox side came regarding Gaming Copilot. Sharma announced that Copilot on the Xbox mobile app will be phased out and development work for the console version will be stopped.
This decision was among the steps showing that Xbox has moved to a line that is closer to player and developer feedback in the new period. The spelling “XBOX” is now most clearly seen on the brand’s X account. The same change has not yet been implemented in Threads and Bluesky accounts. The extent to which Microsoft will carry this writing to all platforms, product pages, store areas and visual identity will become clear with the steps the brand will take in the coming period.
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