It seems that tech giant Microsoft is taking into consideration using Bitcoin as a payment option for its Xbox gaming console online store.
This was reported first on a Reddit post, r/XboxSeriesX, where a screenshot showed a survey by Microsoft in which it was asking Xbox users questions about their preferred payment option for the online store.
“Which of these other payment methods would you like to use on Xbox?” was one of the questions of the survey while mentioning Bitcoin as a potential payment method, among others. The same photo was also shared on other subreddits, such as r/Bitcoin and r/ethtrader.
It seems that the survey is available “if you participate in the Xbox Insider program for beta testing OS updates,” according to an Xbox user. Microsoft has yet to make any comments regarding this.
In 2014, Microsoft began accepting Bitcoin in order to fund Microsoft accounts. This had allowed US-based users to buy content from Windows, including Xbox games. The payment method was then stopped for a while before Microsoft started accepting Bitcoin payments for its MS Store in January 2021. Crypto payments aren’t currently supported for the Xbox online store.
Microsoft may start accepting Bitcoin as a means of payment, but it doesn’t plan to make a Tesla-like move into crypto. As president Brad Smith revealed, the company doesn’t currently have any plans for crypto diversification.