In a surprising move, Ubisoft has announced that the upcoming Just Dance 2023 will be leaving the PS4 and Xbox One behind, breaking a major franchise tradition. Ubisoft's Just Dance series of dancing games has seen at least one new entry every year since the original game launched in 2009. 2022 will be no exception to the rule, as it's been confirmed that Just Dance 2023 Edition will launch on November 22 for PC, PS5, Stadia, Switch, and Xbox Series X.
It's extremely surprising that Just Dance 2023 is abandoning the PS4 and Xbox One, as the series has traditionally released for older consoles years after they've become outdated. As some may recall, Ubisoft released Just Dance games on the Nintendo Wii years after that console had been discontinued, with the last Just Dance to game to launch for the platform being Just Dance 2020. The PS5 and Xbox Series X have only been out for a couple of years at this point, and with the PS4 and Xbox One still heavily supported, it is odd that Just Dance 2023 is skipping those consoles entirely.
Despite the PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles being nearly 2 years old at this point, they are both still incredibly difficult to find. Scalpers, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and a multitude of other issues have made getting one's hands on a next-gen console without paying inflated scalper prices a serious ordeal. Considering this, one would think it would make a lot more sense for Ubisoft to release Just Dance 2023 as a cross-gen title and maximize the number of households that can access the game, but it's choosing not to do this for whatever reason.
One would think that Ubisoft making Just Dance 2023 Edition only available for PS5 and Xbox Series X and not PS4 or Xbox One would mean that there's some kind of technical reason behind the decision. Perhaps there is something with Just Dance 2023 that the older consoles simply can't handle. But that doesn't seem to be the case either. After all, Just Dance 2023 is releasing for the Nintendo Switch, which is comparable if not weaker than the PS4 and Xbox One.
Whatever Ubisoft's reason for having Just Dance 2023 focus only on the newest video game consoles, it's a surprising move, to say the least. Fans will find out if it was the right move or not when Just Dance 2023 launches for select platforms later this year.
Just Dance 2023 launches November 22 for PC, PS5, Stadia, Switch, and Xbox Series X.