Gaming companies have been making mid-gen versions of their consoles for decades, and this is something that we expect from this generation as well. However, Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s head of gaming, said that there will be no mid-gen Xbox Series console.
The last console generation seemed to start a tradition; the base console would launch first, and then a better-specced version would launch a bit later. We saw this with the PS4 Pro and the Xbox One X. Now, it seems that Sony is going to go that same route with the PS5, but it’s going to be alone in that venture.
There won’t be a mid-gen Xbox Series console
Gamescom 2023 is going on, and Phil Spencer spoke to IGN in an interview (via Techradar). When asked if there was any news on a mid-gen Xbox Series system, he responded with an eloquent “No”. He then stated that “we’re at the end of the beginning” of the Xbox Series generation. This statement points to Microsoft still having major plans for its consoles.
In an interview with Eurogamer, he noted that he doesn’t see a reason to launch a mid-gen console if it won’t differentiate itself from the current generation. Not only that, but he also mentioned that it can cause problems for developers. Devs would need to make the same game for even more platforms. “…it starts to feel a lot more like PC…”, said Spencer.
This makes sense
What Phil Spencer is saying rings true. This generation’s consoles are extremely powerful devices. They already offer great graphics with a bunch of graphical effects. Launching a better-specced console will bring a boost in graphics or power, but they won’t be enough to facilitate a new console. There’s just no need to.
Rather than looking toward the next console, Microsoft is looking to make the best of the current systems.