With the next-gen console war ramping up, as both Sony and Microsoft hold reveal events for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, speculation has begun as to where console gaming will go next.
Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, gave an interview to WIRED talking about how he thinks the console landscape will change over the next decade.
Spencer mentioned he believes gaming will
move away from the traditional games console, but reassured Xbox fans that the Series
X will not be the last console Microsoft make.
Read on to see our full breakdown and speculation of Xbox’s future from Phil Spencer’s article!
What Did Phil Spencer Say?
Spencer doesn’t see Xbox’s future as
being another console war against the PlayStation, believing “in the long run,
to me, it’s a question about the viability of the television” as the way media
is consumed is changing.
“We’re going to be focusing on the player
and the devices that they have that fit in their lifestyle”, said Spencer, suggesting
he sees Xbox shifting towards portable devices that don’t require the
conventional TV and console set-up.
The Xbox Series X will launch alongside the Project xCloud streaming service that lets users play Xbox games on their mobile or tablet devices. Project xCloud hopes to build on the success of the Xbox Game Pass, which has now amassed over 10,000,000 users since its launch in 2017.
What is the State of Console Gaming?
Spencer
described the current console landscape as a “walled garden” that is “such a
1990s construct”- referring to the lack of crossplay between the Xbox One and
PlayStation 4.
Currently, only a few multiplayer titles, including Modern Warfare and Rocket League, allow for crossplay between these platforms.
Xbox has previously pushed for more crossplay between the different consoles, with Spencer tweeting out support for Fortnite crossplay in 2017 after Epic accidentally enabled the feature between Xbox and PlayStation.
What is the next Xbox console after the Series X?
Despite his ambivalence towards the console landscape, Spencer assured WIRED that the Xbox Series X would not be the last Xbox console, stating that Xbox is “committed to [the TV] and we will deliver great console experiences. I don’t think the Xbox Series X is our last console.”
Fans have speculated that the future console experiences Spencer could be referring to is the rumoured Xbox Series S- a low budget version of the Series X that bridges the gap to the next-gen.
There may also be scope for Microsoft to follow Nintendo and Sony in releasing a ‘mini’ version of the original Xbox. After the NES and SNES mini consoles sold a combined 9 million units in their first year, it would not be surprising if Xbox re-released their own retro console with classic titles such as Fable, Halo, and Jet Set Radio Future included.
READ MORE: Why the Xbox One camp LOST OUT in the current-gen console war versus PS4
Does Xbox need any new consoles after the Series X?
With the announcement that Project xCloud is launching free with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in September, Xbox may be gearing up to be the 'Netflix of gaming', offering players the chance to play their Game Pass titles on mobile devices.
Given the Game Pass Ultimate service already has over 10 million subscribers, if xCloud performs as well as industry insiders predict, it could completely change Xbox's console roadmap.