Microsoft Isn't Ruling Out A New Generation of Consoles

Microsoft isn't against the idea of moving on to another new generation of consoles later, according to Xbox's Albert Penello.

The company certainly has its hands full with the release of the Xbox One X coming this week, but with a new console almost here, it does beg the question of what's to come after that. In a recent interview with IGN, Penello, Microsoft's Xbox marketing head, said that he's not sold on the idea of console generations coming to an end, but they do want to keep compatibility as a primary feature moving forward.

"That's the question, we'll have to see how it goes," Penello told IGN. "I mean, part of it is, this is a grand new experiment that both us and Sony are on with this concept. And right now, we have to sort of build trust that the stuff you're buying will work, that this ecosystem will make sense for people, for developers, and that is what will inform what happens next."

Continuing to speak the idea of console generations and more hot topics such as console compatibility, Penello said that they've never indicated that console generations would go away entirely due to changes in technology.

"But I do think that it changes the nature of how you think about compatibility, which has always been an afterthought for the most part on consoles… there have been some who have done a great job of it, but we're doubling down on it, going back even further," Penello continued.

The future of Xbox consoles hasn't been decided just yet – or they're at least not speaking much about what they have planned – but Penello stressed that whatever they have in store for gamers next, hardware and compatibility with past games will be two of the greatest influences.

"So I think compatibility will be a more important focus," Penello said. "And then, there will be step changes in hardware, there will be evolutions. I am not sure what the next thing will look like, but I would certainly say we are doubling down on our commitment to compatibility, we will try to keep it compatible with our existing library of games, that is super important to us."

[via GamingBolt and IGN]