What simply occurred? With Sony’s PlayStation 5 outselling the console by an enormous margin and once-exclusive video games being made accessible on different platforms, questions have been raised just lately concerning the Xbox machines’ future. However that hasn’t stopped Microsoft from unveiling three new editions of the current-gen Xbox consoles, and model boss Phil Spencer hinted {that a} handheld Xbox is not out of the query.
Not one of the new Xbox consoles Microsoft introduced on the Xbox Video games Showcase are PS5 Professional-style main upgrades. The largest change is discovered within the Xbox Sequence X – 1TB Digital Version in Robotic White. Along with coming in white for the primary time, it is all digital – i.e., no disc drive.
Eradicating the disc drive means the console will probably be cheaper than the common 1TB Sequence X. The white mannequin, accessible later this yr, will probably be priced at $449, whereas the present black 1TB Xbox Sequence X with a disc drive is $499. Nonetheless, it may be presently discovered on supply for $449.99.
One other Xbox Sequence X was proven off by Xbox president Sarah Bond, this one with a disc drive. The Galaxy Black particular version comes with double the interior storage (2TB) and a black end lined in white speckles for a space-like look. It is going to carry a $599.99 price ticket.
The third and ultimate up to date Xbox is an Xbox Sequence S with 1TB. This one is a Robotic White model of the present Carbon Black mannequin and comes with the identical $349.99 worth. There are claims primarily based on earlier leaks that this white Sequence S could have an upgraded heatsink, although that will not be confirmed till it arrives later in 2024. Like all Xbox Sequence S consoles, it lacks a disc drive.
Being the identical Xbox consoles with extra storage and new paint jobs meant there wasn’t an excessive amount of pleasure across the announcement. What did acquire extra consideration, nonetheless, was Microsoft’s Xbox chief Phil Spencer dropping one other trace about an Xbox handheld system.
Talking to IGN’s Ryan McCaffrey at IGN Reside, Spencer stated “I feel we should always have a handheld, too.”
Spencer additionally steered such a tool can be a handheld gaming machine within the extra conventional sense of the phrase, capable of play video games domestically slightly than it being absolutely cloud-based.
“I like my ROG Ally, my Lenovo Legion Go, my Steam Deck. I feel with the ability to play video games domestically is basically essential,” stated Spencer.
Spencer has been dropping hints about an Xbox handheld since 2017, and that is in all probability his largest but. With the marketplace for these units nonetheless rising following the arrival of the Change and Steam Deck, it looks as if it is solely a matter of time earlier than Microsoft/Xbox joins the occasion.