Last night, Microsoft revealed the name for the next Xbox at the 2019 Game Awards. The Xbox Series X, as it was announced, has already proven itself to be a divisive moniker. The name and console design point in new directions for a company that's taking cues from Apple and its own history in PC gaming.
Microsoft is promising exciting things for the next generation of Xbox. Its next generation is leaning into the power of xCloud and game streaming, while also seeming to try and crush it on the pure hardware power end. Additionally, Microsoft has bought up a whole new crew of game studios over the past couple years to prepare for a competitive launch. How do the design and naming convention of the Series X fit into these plans and speculation?
Xbox Series X: The Name
The name Series X brings to mind the way Apple has named its products over the last decade. The Apple Watch Series 5 is the latest in this line and for computers Apple has dropped new names almost entirely, with the design being the core way to different models. The way Microsoft is attempting to have all its games playable on one console, in one ecosystem, mimics the way iOS devices work. That line of thinking explains the trajectory Microsoft has taken since adjusting for the harsh launch of the Xbox One.
However, it's not an especially good name when it comes down to distinguishing the console from what is currently on the market. Nintendo made an eerily similar naming decision with the Wii U, which ended up being a failure in many regards. Underselling a new console launch as a mere iteration on the last device has not worked out well for big video game companies.
But this is how products are named now: The Xbox One S and X, the 2DS and 3DS. These major game companies have largely adopted the sleeker, Apple-like approach to naming iterations. It's only Sony that continues to simply stick to the naming convention it has been using, which makes the company a bit of an outlier, even if they are a market leader.
Xbox Series X: The Design
The look of the Xbox Series X is quite unusual. Microsoft's first attempts at powerful new hardware is often bulky, but this takes big to a new level. It's not especially slim or sleek, but it maintains the classy Xbox One black and minimalist design. The only visible features are the on button brandishing the Xbox logo and a disc slot. Not to mention, the power of the Xbox Series X is being advertised as a dramatic upgrade from both the Xbox One base console and the Xbox One X. .
The least unusual aspect is just how much the Series X looks like a PC tower. Given how much Microsoft has been blending its console and PC gaming brands, with PC Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate most recently, it makes sense that the hardware would start to go more in the direction of the PC. The next generation consoles will be the most similar to gaming PCs than any console before.
For its Xbox Series X controller, Microsoft seems to be making very few changes to its tried and true Xbox One controller, which was only a minor improvement upon the Xbox 360 controller. But this appears to be another area where Microsoft has slowly iterated instead of making huge leaps. The controller is virtually identical to an Xbox One controller, but it features a d-pad that resembles the d-pad exclusive to the Xbox One Elite Controller. The only new component from a visual standpoint is the addition of a PS4-like share button.
The first announced game for the Series X is Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 and it's a direct sequel to Ninja Theory's to Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. The game is going to be a technical showpiece for the Series X, with more details about the gameplay likely to be revealed in the coming months, but the trailer hints as possibly more of a combat focus than the original game.
These choices might end up confusing some consumers and lose Microsoft sales, but it is part of an effort to build towards a direction and deliver on those promises. The Xbox brand is strong right now because of the convenience of Game Pass and the perpetually increasing catalog of backward compatible titles and Microsoft is leaning into tech that will support those features going forward.
It's a bold choice, both the name and the design of the Series X, so it just remains to be seen if this all pays off for Microsoft in the long run.
Xbox Series X releases Holiday 2020.