Microsoft’s approach to generations is shifting, and certainly paints a very different picture from Sony and Nintendo’s more traditional generation structure. Going for an ecosystem spanning multiple devices with a focus on services like cloud gaming and Xbox Game Pass instead of placing an emphasis on specific machines, Microsoft have adopted a much more fluid approach for their gaming division.
That, however, does not mean that they’re planning on keeping the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S as their gaming-centric devices forever. As you would expect, Microsoft still very much plans on making more consoles down the road, as Xbox boss Phil Spencer recently said in an interview with Yahoo Finance.
“We’re about putting the player at the center,” Spencer said (transcribed by VGC). “It’s not about the device in the middle anymore. You see that in every other form of media: my TV is with me wherever I go, my music is with me wherever I go.
“I’m in control of the experience and I think gaming is going through that same transformation, which is why as you say, if you’re a Game Pass subscriber you can now play your great games on our Xbox console, on your PC or now on your Android phone via streaming.”
“In terms of future hardware, absolutely I think we’re going to see more console hardware down the road,” Spencer added. “Just like in video, just like in music it’s not that streaming has cut off device innovation. I think we’ll continue to see that and that’s absolutely what we’re planning for.”
Of course, the question still remains whether these new consoles will mark the beginning of new generations, or whether it’ll be a gradual rollout with iterative improvements and differences with new machines. Mid-gen refreshes with more powerful hardware are becoming increasingly common (even Nintendo are reportedly releasing a more powerful Switch variant soon), and seeing more consoles in the Xbox Series line down the road would fit with Microsoft’s strategy rather well.
For now, we have the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S to look forward to, which launch worldwide on November 10.
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