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[HeisenbergFX4]

Looks like the Series S trend could continue next generation for Xbox



Microsoft executives expected in spring 2022 to launch the next Xbox console in 2028, and were considering a more flexible approach to its gaming hardware, according to an internal chat log released as part of the Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit to block Microsoft's purchase of Activision.

Driving the news: The 2028 launch plan was referenced in a May 2022 meeting among more than a dozen senior Microsoft executives attended by CEO Satya Nadella, CFO Amy Hood, and head of gaming Phil Spencer, among others, according to the document.

• In a brief chat exchange, a non-Xbox executive asked the gaming leadership team whether the next Xbox will veer from the traditional model of consoles having fixed hardware standards that all game makers develop for.

What they're saying: "One of the things consoles have been really great at is giving a very clear platform target for developers, and [Game Development Kit] has been really good at this," Anuj Gosalia, corporate vice president of immersive experiences, wrote in the chat at one point.

• "Is the plan for 2028 to keep that [illegible] like model or force a Windows like flexible/capabilities like model?"
• "We have already started this journey with Xbox One and Xbox One X, furthering it in Series S | X," Kevin Gammill, corporate vice president of gaming ecosystems, replies, referring to Microsoft's experimentation with different-powered Xbox models in recent console generations.
• "We need to be even more flexible going forward with gen 10, but also provide the ability for creators to take advantage of unique hardware capabilities."

Between the lines: The 2028 target, stated casually in a chat that the participants probably did not expect to ever be public, is consistent with more recent, vaguer statements from Microsoft lawyers about expectations that the industry's next console generation will commence that year.




State of play: The current console generation launched in 2020 with the near-concurrent debuts of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S | X.

• Sony has handily outsold Microsoft this generation, as Microsoft, acknowledging an inability to surpass Sony, has pursued leadership with game services, including the popular all-you-can-play Xbox Game Pass.

 

[Dr.brain64]

Maybe flexibility = no more proprietary stuff?

 

[March Climber]

Now that apple/phones are slowly stepping into the frame for console-ports, I felt like this was an inevitability. Eventually we will reach a point where every game will have to run on the lowest spec device, which means everyone has no choice but to all upgrade together for a new generation to begin.

The good news is that eventually in a generation or two, Nintendo will catch up graphically because of this.

 

[bender]

Next Xbox Next Series P
Next Xbox Next Series S
Next Xbox Next Series X

 

[DeepEnigma]

 

[Bernoulli]

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

 

[SHA]

Next Gen is current gen which leads to Series S, both causes work together, we won't get fresh experiences anymore.

 

[ProtoByte]

Oh Jesus. They're going to technologically shackle another gen for 3rd parties?

 

[DeepEnigma]

Oh Jesus. They're going to technologically shackle another gen for 3rd parties?

Race to the bottom. Their sub model relies on not too heavy of advancements for game design.

 

[Bernoulli]

Oh Jesus. They're going to technologically shackle another gen for 3rd parties?

The Switch 2 will be more powerful than the Series S

 

[Walter Matthau]

I don't see Series S and Series X lasting until 2028 unless there is a Pro version which Phil has apparently shot down.

 

[Heisenberg007]

Race to the bottom. Their sub model relies on not too heavy of advancements for game design.

Less advanced games = faster development time = less development cost = a higher quantity of games to keep people engaged and subscribed at $17 p/m with new (lower-quality) content.

 

[Kurotri]

You guys don't understand. The trick to gain more mindshare is to have people be more annoyed at Xbox.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Less advanced games = faster development time = less money = a higher quantity of games to keep people engaged and subscribed at $17 p/m with new (lower-quality) content.

Also, when the majority of your subscribers are on lesser hardware, you can't have such a sharp cutoff. Especially when you promise "day 1."

 

[adamsapple]

Hell yeah, TES VI on Series S|X *and* Series Y|Z.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Hell yeah, TES VI on Series S|X *and* Series Y|Z.

Xbox Chromosome. They/Them Edition.

 

[Heisenberg007]

Hell yeah, TES VI on Series S|X *and* Series Y|Z.

They name the next one Series XxX or we riot!

 

[IntentionalPun]

Maybe flexibility = no more proprietary stuff?

From the OP:

, but also provide the ability for creators to take advantage of unique hardware capabilities.

 

[midnightAI]

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."

 

[DeepEnigma]

They name the next one Series XxX or we riot!

 

[adamsapple]

They name the next one Series XxX or we riot!

 

[Freelance Yakuza]

 

[dotnotbot]

Well, if you can't win the industry you might as well just ruin it.

 

[DeepEnigma]

The dude on the right is playing the game on air.

 

[GetInTheRobot]

As long as pc is a platform Xbox targets a lower end model will remain because PC games out here still target 1080 machines, consoles for the most part can stay on par with lower end pc rigs so why not? I'd love a world where games are developed for generation old pcs only but thats not happening, development takes to long for a game to target 30 series machines.

 

[Heisenberg007]

 

[Bernoulli]

Xbox Chromosome. They/Them Edition.

We have a clear chromosome advantage

 

[adamsapple]

 

[Dick Jones]

Hell yeah, TES VI on Series S|X *and* Series Y|Z.

Series Why sounds about right

 

[Pelta88]

It's important XBOX doesn't hold the keys to the gaming castle. They'll fuck it up and bend it into what their vision of gaming is. Not what it's supposed to be.

 

[Unknown?]

Should just do one Series S console and if you want more power like the X, it's a 32X like add-on that you just plug in.

 

[clarky]

Less advanced games = faster development time = less development cost = a higher quantity of games to keep people engaged and subscribed at $17 p/m with new (lower-quality) content.

Sounds exactly like Nintendo's model apart from the lower quality part.....

 

[Magic Carpet]

Wish they would Series PDQ with the price reductions.

 

[skit_data]

Something something definition of insanity

 

[somesang]

Instead of 2 SKUs, they’re going to make 3 cause that’s flexibility.

 

[nosoynadie22]

I want Microsoft to release a new console for the Xbox series family that has 16GB of ram and 6TF, they can name it Xbox series "E"

 

[Jinzo Prime]

Should just do one Series S console and if you want more power like the X, it's a 32X like add-on that you just plug in.

Yes, I too wish Microsoft would follow in Sega's footsteps and exit the console market make quirky consoles like the 32x and Dreamcast.

 

[zeldaring]

probably a handheld version which would be a great idea for them.

 

[SomeGit]

Less advanced games = faster development time = less development cost = a higher quantity of games to keep people engaged and subscribed at $17 p/m with new (lower-quality) content.

Don’t agree with this at all, big budget AAAs are usually the safest, blandest by the book games on the market.

It’s usually the AAs that actually try new things.

 

[onQ123]

They will not make it to 2028 without a mid-gen refresh.

Switch 2 , PS5 V2 & PS5 Pro is about eat it's Breakfast, Lunch & Supper if they don't make big changes soon.

 

[CoreyFlawless]

Really don’t care bout this more flexibility crap. Unless they somehow have a windows out in or have a handheld device. If they can make an handheld device that be as power as the series s if not a tad bit more powerful. I buy the shit out of it. If it can still do backwards compatibility from 360’games. And stuff

 

[BennyBlanco]

A handheld maybe? Id buy one

 

[JimboJones]

Bringing back the MSX model.

 

[SHA]

Race to the bottom. Their sub model relies on not too heavy of advancements for game design.

They aren't really investing heavily already, games are expensive.

 

[DeepEnigma]

They aren't really investing heavily already, games are expensive.

They're about to be another $70b invested.

 

[THE DUCK]

Honestly that model to me sounds like a console pc hybrid approach.

"Plays on xbox"
Hardware could change every year or 2 years and or include 3rd party manufacturers.
Maybe it dual boots windows and xbix console.

Then every 6 or 7 years the oldest hardware loses support. (Like phone operating systems maybe?)

Not sure if this would be smart or dumb for them but might leverage thier pc market penetration if they do a dual boot.

 

[GHG]

Why do technological advancement and hardware innovation frighten them so much?

You can even see this in their stance towards VR despite having a ton of IP that are very well suited to the medium.

Bunch of clowns running the show over there, what a waste.

 

[SHA]

They're about to be another $70b invested.

I highly doubt this will transform the experience that will make current games obsolete, they know all that before they started investing since the early days of gaming, this will hurt future sales of older games, they aren't willing to risk their business on selling older games again.

 

[skit_data]

You can even see this in their stance towards VR despite having a ton of IP that are very well suited to the medium.

The other day the thought of Starfield in VR crossed my mind which led to another thought:
Did Sony internally plan for Ghostwire Tokyo, Deathloop and Starfield to be part of their VR push but everything just got thrown out when MS purchased Zenimax?
Seems like it would fit pretty well given Skyrim VR and would undoubtedly make for a much more potent software lineup for PSVR2