Microsoftdoesn’t have any plans to release a more powerfulXbox Series X, says Phil Spencer. This is despite ongoing complaints about the quality of new releases, with many games struggling to hit 60fps on the Series S and even the Series X in some instances.
Spencer says this comes in response to fan feedback, with players apparently pleased with the hardware that’s on offer right now. Instead, Spencer saysXboxwill remain focussed on increasing Series X stock, with this more powerful model often selling out faster in comparison to the Series S.
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“That’s not the feedback we’re getting right now," says Phil Spencer, speaking withBloombergafter the Xbox Games Showcase. “Right now, we’re pretty set on the hardware we have.”
This marks a significant change in how console generations pan out. The Xbox One X launched around four years after the original model, and the Xbox 360 had revised models coming out just a year after its initial launch. If the Xbox Series consoles were to stick to this trend, Microsoft would almost definitely have an improved console in development right now, although it doesn’t seem that this is the case at all.
While this is a pretty big change, it’s not a particularly surprising one. This console generation got off to a rocky start when it kicked off mid-pandemic. This caused production issues, only exacerbated by major international part shortages. Now, many regions are going through a cost of living crisis, with wages not raising to meet inflation. Understandably, this means many of us will be cutting back on non-essentials like video games, and therefore can’t justify buying a new console less than three years since the original launched.
Perhaps this is why Microsoft is going all in on its cheaper model, the Series S. At the Xbox Games Showcase, the company unveiled a new model:the Xbox Series S 1TB edition. With almost double the memory, this will allow players on cheaper hardware to store more games at once - something that comes in handy when the console doesn’t have a disc drive. It’s a $50 price increase on the original Series S model, but this still puts it $150 below the Series X, so a pretty big saving overall. As long as you don’t also mind the performance dip, of course, since this new 1TB model isn’t changing anything on that front.
The new Series S will be available from September 1 onwards. Pre-orders are live now. Further Series X stock is also expected throughout the year, increasing the options for buyers overall.
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