Sony just released a $700 PS5 Pro, a mid-gen console upgrade that offers better performance than the base PS5.
While we still don’t know how well the PS5 Pro is selling, thoughts have inevitably turned to whether Microsoft will follow suit and offer a mid-gen console upgrade of its own. After all, Microsoft has form when it comes to mid-cycle hardware refreshes, offering a more powerful version of the Xbox One.
According to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, though, times have changed, and while he failed to definitively rule out releasing a more powerful Xbox Series console, it doesn’t sound likely.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Microsoft’s gaming boss questioned the value of a mid-gen refresh, suggesting it is unnecessary given the diminishing returns developers are seeing with increased horsepower.
“We think about hardware that can create unique value for our players or creators on our platform,” he said.
“We don’t need to do incremental hardware for our own benefit. Does a new device really give you a unique experience on screen in some way? [It’s] less like the old days, going from the original Xbox to 360; that was standard definition to high definition. Now, [it’s] harder to show the benefits.”
This isn’t the first time Spencer has cast doubt on a possible Xbox mid-gen upgrade. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Spencer doubled down on Microsoft’s focus on expanding Xbox’s audience via new devices, saying: “To reach new players, we need to be creative and adaptive of new business models, new devices, new ways of access. We’re not going to grow the market with $1,000 consoles.”
All this doesn’t mean Microsoft is getting out of the console business. In fact, in the Rolling Stone interview Spencer confirmed: “we’ll definitely do more consoles in the future, and other devices.” What form they take, however, remains to be seen.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
