Xbox chief Phil Spencer dismissed concerns that upcoming Xbox Series X games would be hamstrung by releasing cross-generationally on Xbox One, promising that the next-gen console versions won't be held back. The company has steadily released new information about the Xbox Series X, including details about backward compatibility, but has been more restrained with game reveals (likely saving them for its game showcase on July 23).
Unlike Sony, Microsoft games will be accessible across multiple devices, new and old. The company's touted Smart Delivery system automatically optimizes a game for whichever system it's running on. If a player purchases a new release for their Xbox One and later purchases an Xbox Series X, they will receive a free upgrade to the improved version. For years, the company has promoted its cross-buy program called Play Anywhere, which allows select games to be purchased once and played on both Xbox One and PC. The new Smart Delivery program will likely benefit Microsoft's Game Pass once next-generation games become available for subscribers. But the crossover has some players concerned that by releasing new games on both consoles, Xbox Series X titles will not be able to reach their full potential.
In an interview with Gamesindustry.biz, Spencer clarified that upcoming games would not suffer because they were being developed for both Xbox Series X and Xbox One. He considers players' concerns over performance a symptom of the ongoing console war and is confident in developers' abilities to produce high-performing games across diverse system specs. Instead, Spencer pushes players to think about the opportunities afforded by cross-gen production, not the limitations, stating:
"We should applaud load times and fidelity of scenes and framerate and input latency, and all of these things that we've focused on with the next generation. But that should not exclude people from being able to play. That's our point. How do we create an ecosystem where if you want to play an Xbox game, we're going to give you a way to go play it?"
The "console war" becomes more absurd with each passing year as the major competitors take diverging paths. Phil Spencer is right - wide access to upcoming releases matters more than how many blades of grass fit on the screen (and according to Spencer, both old and new consoles will perform just fine). Fans should jump at the opportunity to save money and play new games on older hardware, especially in a time when console prices are set to skyrocket and the global economy limps along.
Of course, talk is cheap and keeping promises that have been similarly reneged upon at launch is quite literally expensive. Phil Spencer's leadership at Xbox is phenomenal, but he can't always deliver the moon in cases like cross-generational development. Gamers will have to wait and see if the Xbox Series X starts strongly or is forced to limp out of the gate on account of current-gen hardware when it launches this holiday season.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz