New Xbox console will focus on hardware capabilities, not exclusive games
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has shared Microsoft's plans for its next console
🤔 Microsoft says its new console won’t be defined by exclusive games
👀 Head of Xbox Phil Spencer said the company will focus on hardware capabilities
🎮 Microsoft publishes Xbox games on console and PC, and recently brought its games to PS5 and Nintendo Switch
🔜 Spencer has already confirmed Xbox games will come to Nintendo Switch 2
Don’t expect any new Xbox to be home to exclusive games. Microsoft is sticking to its strategy of bringing its games to as many platforms as possible, and instead will focus on attracting players based on the capabilities of Xbox hardware.
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer told Gamertag Radio, “I want people to pick hardware based on the capabilities of that hardware and how that fits into the choices that they want to make about where they want to play, and we want our hardware to win based on the hardware capabilities that we have.”
Spencer didn’t share what those capabilities could be, but it would be nice to see Microsoft differentiate its next console from the PS6. A quick look at our PS5 vs Xbox Series X comparison shows that it’s Sony console that does a little more to standout, mainly because of the DualSense controller.
Even though the Xbox Series X is the more powerful console on paper, that hasn’t translated into markedly better looking or performing games. Developers shared some games run better on PS5 vs Xbox Series X because Sony’s console has a faster GPU compiler, a lower-level API, and higher clock speeds.
With Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S lagging behind those of the PS5 and even the Xbox One, Microsoft will hope that its next console offers enough features and perks to make it worthwhile over the competition – especially as you’ll be able to play the best Xbox games elsewhere.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.