A huge wedge of PS5 information yesterday has everyone excited, talking about elements like the PlayStation 5‘s new 3D sound chip, super-fast SSD or even the fact it’s going to have ray tracing. So, if you’re John Microsoft, the man in charge of making the Xbox Series X more exciting than Sony’s proposition, we’ve got some ideas for you…
Related: Upcoming Xbox One games 2019
1. Embrace the ray tracing
Right now, today, the Xbox One X is the most powerful gaming machine you can get, pound for pound. Sure, it can’t do everything a PC can do but if you just want to play games, this is your best bet.
As a result, the Xbox 2 will need to emulate that success. Whatever name it takes, whatever shape it appears in, the Xbox 2 needs to be the most technologically advanced console available.
Ray tracing is the big thing no gamer fully understands yet, which means the Xbox 2 should definitely have this and a bunch of other bells and whistles to make sure games on Microsoft’s next-gen console look better than anything else.
2. Cloudbusting
Microsoft is already leading the game when it comes to its Xbox Game Pass service, which often offers day-and-date access for brand new Xbox games.
However, if the company really wants the next Xbox to have the edge, they need to be looking at full streaming. This isn’t going to be easy: Google Stadia‘s reveal was so impressive solely because of how difficult games streaming is. However, with its Azure cloud computing platform, Microsoft could take a real swing at things, and being able to play AAA Xbox exclusives via the cloud will make it a must-have console.
3. Go big on Xbox Play Anywhere
Lots of the work that Microsoft is doing right now is in backwards compatibility, cloud gaming, cross play for PC owners and its Xbox Game Pass service.
Microsoft makes it so easy to play the games you want, wherever you want, whenever works for you. The Xbox 2 should stick to this. Sometimes a good night playing my Xbox One doesn’t even involve touching the console, plugging my controller into my PC to play Forza Horizon 4.
Other times, it could involve playing through Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, a game I bought over a decade ago for the Xbox 360, but which Microsoft has managed to emulate so that I can guide Alucard through rooms full of enemies.
This needs to continue. If the Xbox 2 launches not just with all of its launch games but also the greatest hits of the Xbox One, Xbox 360 and even the original Xbox, it’s going to have a nearly unbeatable library. It’s going to need some help to keep the lead, so…
4. Get some exclusives
One of the hardest things about owning an Xbox is that there’s nothing to play on it. You’ve got the big games but while the PlayStation 4 had all-time classics like Uncharted 4, God of War, The Last of Us and umpteen different Yakuza games, the Xbox One always felt like it was running behind.
Sure, you could play Crackdown 3, Sea of Thieves, Cuphead, Forza Horizon 4 and a few wobbly Halo games but the calibre of the titles just wasn’t there, even if like me you adored Forza.
This is a tough ask and behind the scenes, Microsoft’s brutality saw many first-party games get the axe before they were released, including the rumoured-to-be-quite-good Scalebound.
Related: Best Xbox One games 2019
If they want people to buy their console, Microsoft is going to need killer Xbox exclusives. This doesn’t mean another quite decent Halo game from whoever they’ve locked in a dark room and forced to make them these days. This means something new and exciting. Remember Sunset Overdrive? We need one of those a month, for a year, Microsoft. Don’t mess around with us on this.
5. Get some exclusives!
Seriously. This is the most important part.
Already won over by the promises made by the PlayStation 5 or are you willing to wait and see what the next Xbox brings to the table? Let us know on social @TrustedReviews.
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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.
