Microsoft is gearing up to showcase all kinds of games fans can expect on the Xbox Series X during its digital event later this month. On the way to that news, Microsoft is dishing out important information for the Xbox’s future that impacts its whole gaming division. Today, Microsoft announced it would be discontinuing two of its consoles include the Xbox One X.
It’s no secret that later this year Microsoft will be releasing its newest console, the Xbox Series X. The new console is the first step into the next generation of video games for Microsoft. The Xbox Series X will be backward compatible with all existing Xbox One games, sans Kinect titles, which should be good news to anyone sitting on a pile of current-generation Xbox games.
Microsoft released a statement to IGN today addressing the production of two of its current-generation consoles. A spokesperson from Microsoft confirmed that the company would be halting production on the Xbox One X and the Xbox One S All-Digital consoles. Microsoft’s statement explains, “as we ramp into the future with Xbox Series X, we’re taking the natural step of stopping production on Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition.”
When it launched, the Xbox One X was labeled as the most powerful console on the market. Boasting an impressive six teraflops and being capable of running games at native 4K resolutions and making older games look better. The Xbox One S All-Digital edition launched in April of 2019 and was Microsoft’s first attempt at a disc-less based console. It would seem that the upcoming more powerful console, the Xbox Series X, would take the place of the Xbox One X as the strongest console from Microsoft. The rumored Xbox Lockhart console is said to be an all-digital box and would be the next-generation version of the Xbox One S All-Digital console.
With any new console launch, it’s only a matter of time before old consoles are phased out. With this news, Microsoft is getting a headstart on focusing its time, effort, and money into the future of Xbox. This includes focusing on and improving its streaming service, xCloud, and increasing the value of its Xbox Game Pass services. Recently, Xbox has announced that it will be combining xCloud with Xbox Game Pass for no extra charge to subscribers.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, there has already been a shortage of video game consoles available to consumers. Anyone not looking to upgrade right away and holding out for a cheap version of current-generation hardware may find themselves struggling to find a particular console. Fans looking forward to the next-generation of Xbox can get their first taste of the console's line up with the Xbox Games Showcase. Currently, there is no release date for the Xbox Series X but it is still expected to release this holiday.
Source: IGN