It appears the time truly has
come to move the generation forward when it comes to videogame consoles.
Nintendo is still pretty much going strong with their recently-introduced
Switch hybrid system, but for Sony and Microsoft, it was ripe for a switch. The
former is really ramping up their preparations for bringing in the PlayStation
5 at year’s end to replace the soon-to-be 7-year-old PS4. In the meantime,
Microsoft is also taking similar steps for their own follow-up console in the
Xbox Series X. As part of the new console transition, they will be ending early
the production run for two variants of the XSX’s immediate predecessor, the
Xbox One.
The Verge tells us that Microsoft has announced the discontinuation
of two of the current upgraded versions of the 2013-released Xbox One console.
They are the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, which has no Blu-Ray disk drive
and thus must store all games internally, as well as the Xbox One X, the
high-end hardware revision of the basic XBO. The latter was released in 2017
and the former only last year, but with production now being geared to
prioritize the Xbox Series X, it was time to let them rest.
Announcement of the production
end for these two Xbox One variants were done by Microsoft in Thursday, July
16. But full production for them was actually already done three months prior.
Nevertheless, there is still the Xbox One S around – the original with the
Blu-Ray drive – that will continue to be produced and sold, possibly even after
the Series X reaches the shelves. Unfortunately regarding the product
discontinuations, this could mean a smaller supply of the current Microsoft
consoles available in stores, especially as game console sales sort of picked
up due to them being a prime way to pass the time at home during the now-months-long
COVID-19 global pandemic.
While the actual release of the
Xbox Series X will not be until the 2020 Holidays similar to the PS5, Microsoft
might probably unveil the new and upcoming console in the next few months. It
is also likely that the tech giant’s gaming division will carry over the Xbox
All Access bundle from the XBO series to the XSX. All Access combines the price
of a console plus Xbox Live online connection and Game Pass, divided into
monthly installment payments over 24 months. This will come with an offer to
upgrade existing XBO users to get a new Series X.
The Xbox Series X was first
teased during E3 2019, under the development name of “Project Scarlett.” Its
new hardware boasts higher display resolutions and frame-rate, plus lower
loading times.
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