Now that Microsoft has unveiled the Xbox Series X console, fans are likely wondering what comes next. That curiosity is certain to be piqued given the state of the industry mid-COVID-19 pandemic. The Xbox team has a response for fans, confirming that there are more Xbox Series X announcements coming. More importantly, future Xbox Series X announcements will focus heavily on video games rather than console hardware.
In an interview during the IGN Unlocked podcast, Xbox boss Phil Spencer talked about Xbox's plans in the months leading up to the Xbox Series X's launch. Spencer says explicitly that it's "all games from here on out." Odds are there will still be plenty of discourse regarding Xbox Series X hardware and tech like ray tracing, but it would be as part of game coverage.
"We know games are what people play. You don't play variable rate shading, you don't play ray tracing, you play the games with those technologies," is how Spencer characterizes Xbox's future plans. Games will showcase the Xbox Series X hardware going forward and so the Xbox Series X hardware will showcase the games. "This is one of the reasons we had Hellblade when we did the unveil at The Game Awards. I thought showing up at The Game Awards without a game would be a little tone-deaf."
Spencer says the decision to focus on games going forward isn't being made by Xbox alone. He notes that third-party developers are anxious to start talking about next-gen games, too. That's about as close to a promise as Spencer can provide that third-party next-gen games are going to start being shown off in the months to come, too.
No timeline was provided by Spencer, obviously. He's not ready to divulge those kinds of specifics yet, especially with COVID-19 causing all plans to be reconsidered. When Spencer says Xbox is going to start talking about next-gen games, he's likely looking at June and on. A few months of planning post-onset of COVID-19 should be expected.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has made both the industry and video game fans alike wary, plans for the next generation of consoles continue moving full speed. It's heartening to see the industry make such a strong showing in the midst of a crisis. And video games are definitely needed now more than ever.
The Xbox Series X is planned for release holiday 2020.