During yesterday’s Xbox Showcase, a new Xbox Series S Carbon Black model was revealed. The system costs $50 more than the current model, but will offer space on par with the Xbox Series X. The Xbox Series X has now been on the market for nearly three years, and fans are naturally wondering whether that console might also see some kind of upgrade. Speaking to Bloomberg, Xbox boss Phil Spencer revealed that there are no plans to upgrade from the current model of the system, so newcomers can purchase without worrying about that happening.
“That’s not the feedback we’re getting right now,” Spencer told Bloomberg News. “Right now, we’re pretty set on the hardware we have.”
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As Bloomberg notes, it’s not unusual for consoles to get a mid-gen upgrade three years in, but it also doesn’t quite feel like the Xbox Series X needs one. The current console generation has barely tapped into what these platforms can do, and releasing an upgrade might make things more confusing for casual gamers, while also alienating those that bought an Xbox Series X within the last few years. Spencer certainly seems open to the idea if fans demand it, but it doesn’t seem like anyone is clamoring to spend $500 (or more) on an upgraded Xbox. Instead, it makes more sense to go in the other direction, with stripped down consoles like the new Xbox Series S.
There has been a lot of negativity surrounding Xbox’s lack of exclusives this console generation, but yesterday’s Showcase put a big focus on Starfield, which could change the platform’s fortunes. Reception towards the event has been overwhelmingly positive, and it’s clear that Xbox sees the game as a potential system seller. At $350, the new version of the Xbox Series S is a fairly cheap entry into the Xbox ecosystem, and the console is launching just a few days before Starfield; the Carbon Black Xbox Series S releases September 1st, while Starfield drops on September 6th.
Are you happy that Xbox Series X isn’t getting a new hardware model? Do you think that it needs one yet? Let us know inthe comments or share yourthoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!