Don’t expect Xbox Series X exclusives for a couple of years
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has published a new blog post which explores the potential future of the platform ahead of Xbox Series X arriving on the scene later this year.
Writing on Xbox Wire, Phil Spencer delves into what players can expect from Xbox Series X and the wider family of consoles and services provided by Microsoft such as Game Pass and xCloud.
A lot of ground is covered throughout the post, including a bunch of information we already knew surrounding Xbox Series X such as its hugely impressive specifications, SSD and other features such as real-time ray tracing and full forwards compatibility. It continues to be an impressive bit of kit, and one we’re excited to get our hands on.
Speaking of compatibility, Spencer also confirms that major exclusives for the “next couple of years” such as Halo Infinite and Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga will be playable on both current and next-generation consoles, ensuring that no players are left behind and required to upgrade to Xbox Series X to enjoy the latest games. They will all be coming to Windows 10, too.
Related: Best Xbox Series X Games
“We want every Xbox player to play all the new games from Xbox Game Studios. That’s why Xbox Game Studios titles we release in the next couple of years—like Halo Infinite—will be available and play great on Xbox Series X and Xbox One. We won’t force you to upgrade to Xbox Series X at launch to play Xbox exclusives,” Spencer explains.
This is a big difference compared to the PlayStation 5, with Sony already flaunting Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon’s Souls Remake as titles which can only be experienced on its new console at launch. Microsoft is easily the most consumer-friendly of the two, although both will be embracing backwards compatibility in a big way.
He continues: “You will be able to play four generations of games on Xbox Series X on day one. That makes it the largest launch lineup for any new console ever, with thousands of games to play. Our backward compatibility engineers have spent years devising innovative ways for modern, next-gen technology to make the games library you’re building today even better, at no additional cost and with no work from developers.”
Xbox Series X will be launching later this year alongside the PS5, although release date and pricing for both consoles are yet to be announced. Microsoft will be holding the Xbox Game Showcase later this week, which will feature a number of upcoming first-party games and new announcements. We’ll be covering all the big news as it happens.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
