It seems to be a tradition of Microsoft by now to have names for their consoles that make no sense to their releases of past, while also spending many interviews trying to justify the new names for their consoles.
Some were expecting ‘Xbox 720’ but we got ‘Xbox One’. We were half-expecting ‘Xbox Two’ but now have ‘Xbox Series’. There’s no rhyme or reason, just that it seemingly makes sense for Xbox’s marketing department.
But there was also a brief expectation after the Xbox Series consoles that it would be it; streaming would be the future. Not so, according to Phil Spencer.
With that, lets go into more detail about it, and what it could mean for future releases of the Xbox console as a whole.
The plan for Series 2
A couple of weeks back, Phil Spencer confirmed in an interview with Yahoo that there are plans for consoles to follow the Xbox Series as the new ‘next-gen’ releases.
With their ‘xCloud’ service already live, it’s not a stretch to think that this will be a huge pillar in the coming years. An ‘xCloud’ app for smart-televisions and devices such as Fire TV and Chromecast so users can resume their progress on some games, on whatever device they use.
But it’s not a huge stretch to imagine a future Xbox console instead be a stick, similar to Amazon’s Fire Stick devices. The internet is only going to get faster and even more available across the world, so imagining this isn’t too far a stretch.
But as for names, no one can really guess what the next consoles could be called. A ‘Xbox Series 2 X’ sounds like one syllable too far.
What could the next name be
One hope from many, including this writer, is to simply call it ‘Xbox’. A fresh start from the names, and to keep it going for many generations to come.
Of course, it’s also dependant on how any editions of these new next-gen releases will be announced. We’ve got Series S and X coming, and a rumoured ‘Series V’ variant coming. But there’s no harm in having it go like this:
- ‘Xbox Stick’ - Streaming Stick
- ‘Xbox’ - Console Variant
- ‘Xbox Premium’ - High-Tier console with xCloud on any device imaginable.
Sony have followed the numbered scheme for twenty-five years now, and there’s no chance of them suddenly throwing a curveball and naming their sixth console the ‘PlayStation Season VI’.
Even the iPhone, thirteen years on, have stuck to the numbered scheme, and even with variants of their latest releases, it still sticks to the number of that release to alleviate any confusion.
But we haven’t even begun to see the sales and reviews of these current next-gen consoles as yet. We’re only six weeks away from release of the new Xbox consoles. But hopefully, finally, we will see some better names for the next-next-gen of consoles.
READ MORE: Xbox Series X & PS5 Price History.
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
Hardware