After launching three consoles within the last twenty years, Microsoft is preparing to shake things up considerably with its fourth Xbox, the Xbox Series X. That includes going into the next console generation with a rather different approach to how it will bring forth the next generation of games, one that promises to provide it with the best selection of Xbox launch titles to date.
During an interview with Polygon, Xbox Chief Phil Spencer stressed how Microsoft’s key focus with the XSX is providing players with a greater degree of choice. To that end, the company is moving away from the more traditional model of console launches, where emphasis was placed on the hot new games that could only be played on those new consoles, and instead going for more of a “soft” generation jump, according to Polygon.
This can clearly be seen in Microsoft’s approach to backwards compatibility, which will provide the Xbox Series X with 1,000+ games at launch; Xbox Game Pass, Smart Delivery, and the upcoming xCloud streaming service. Most surprising of all, though, is the company’s deemphasizing of console exclusivity by making its first-party XSX titles available on the Xbox One as well. Between all of these different initiatives, Microsoft is gunning for the XSX to offer players more ways to access games and more devices to play them on besides the console itself.
This, Spencer believes, is what will give the Xbox brand a competitive edge going into the next generation. “I honestly think we’re in the best launch lineup position that we’ve ever been on Xbox,” Spencer said. “When I think about the strength and depth of the games that people are going to be able to play day one on Xbox Series X — not only because of [backward compatibility] — and the way that Game Pass really allows the total cost of ownership of our console, I think is a real strength.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Spencer also touched upon how the company wants the Xbox Series X’s launch to appeal to fans who’d normally avoid it due to being unable to afford new games. He said, “You shouldn’t have to go buy all-new games to go play on that console. I think if I make a purchase on Xbox One — I believed this even in the 360 days, even though we didn’t do it at the launch of Xbox One — it should continue to work as I move up in the hardware [cycle].”
The ultimate goal with the XSX and its games, according to Spencer, is to “grow an Xbox ecosystem” around the players and player choice. Fans should get a better idea of what that entails in just a few days, as Microsoft is airing its Xbox Games Showcase this week, where it will share fresh details on highly anticipated titles including Halo Infinite. The event will air this Thursday, July 23 at 9:00 AM PST/12:00 PM EST.
The Xbox Series X launches this holiday season.
Source: Polygon