Xbox has been in a bit of a precarious position as of late, balancing its ever-burgeoning Game Pass subscription service with its hardware and technology ambitions and aspirations of becoming a third-party publisher. Its audacious goals have coalesced to create a rather underwhelming generation in the form of the Series X/S, which, of course, succeeded a similarly disappointing console: the Xbox One.
In fact, many have gone on to claim that 2025 is Xbox’s worst year, and it isn’t hard to see why. All of this has led to what is undoubtedly the end of this Xbox era as we know it, something that has been a long time coming. However, as the age-old adage goes, when one door closes, another opens, and that is undeniably true of Xbox. While this era may indeed be over, and spectacularly so, Xbox’s next steps could finally deliver the redemption so many of us have been craving.
It’s The End Of The Xbox Series X/S Journey
Microsoft Has Confirmed It’s Ending
The Xbox Series X/S era is finally coming to an end, seemingly officially too. Of course, after mass Xbox game cancellations, a push into handheld hardware with the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally, announcements of the future of Xbox consoles, and more, the writing has been on the wall for a considerable amount of time. However, we now have confirmation from Microsoft itself that, at the very least, the Series X/S era is beginning to wrap up.
On LinkedIn, Xbox’s Partner Head of Design, Carl Ledbetter, discussed the Series X/S generation and everything Microsoft wanted to achieve with it. He sums up, more or less, the consumer-focused nature of the Series S, coupled with the Series X’s greater focus on power and performance. More importantly, Ledbetter begins his exploration of the two consoles by stating, “As we wrap up this journey with the Xbox Series X and Series S.“
This ostensibly confirms that Microsoft is about ready to leave the Series X/S in the dust and move on to greener pastures. It already is with the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally, a device that, at least with the X model, could surpass the Series S in its entirety. Of course, we’re yet to get an official announcement of a traditional successor to the Series X/S, but these comments from Ledbetter express perhaps what we have known for quite some time during this tumultuous generation: it’s time for the Series X/S to throw in the towel.
The Xbox Series X/S Leave A Confusing Legacy
It Had Plenty Of Highs And Lows
The Series X/S has steered Xbox through what have been some of its most complex, challenging, and ultimately disheartening years. One only needs to look at the recent round of devastating layoffs at Xbox – which follow on from years of industry strife – for evidence of this. Huge games announced far too soon eventually got canceled. Xbox mismanaged multiple triple-A first-party titles like Redfall, releasing them in broken, buggy states and then immediately dropping support.
This was also seen with the likes of Starfield, which, to this day, still hasn’t been properly fixed. The Series X/S era also saw the death of physical Xbox media, something that is a particular sore point for me. Perhaps most importantly, Xbox also dramatically yet expectedly shifted into becoming a third-party publisher, releasing major first-party games onto PlayStation. That change is what will really define Xbox’s future going forward, both for the best and worst.
Of course, the Series X/S era is also what cemented Game Pass as a triumphant success. Despite a somewhat rocky start, Game Pass has hit huge financial milestones, making it an astonishingly lucrative service for Microsoft. It has also improved its offerings over the years, with the likes of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 making it a more attractive option for fans. With the successful acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, Xbox has also been able to throw multiple Call of Duty titles onto the service as well, further increasing its value.
There have been some extreme highs and lows with the Series X/S era, perhaps more so than previous generations, many of which we all wish could have been avoided. Xbox clearly needs to better manage its portfolio of upcoming games, temper expectations by not announcing titles too early, continue to offer great value with Game Pass, and avoid laying off so many members of staff, or at least write less controversial responses to said layoffs. Should it achieve all of that, the next Xbox era could be spectacular.
The Next Step For Xbox Is Exciting
It Is A Chance For True Redemption
Ledbetter ended the preamble to his discussion of the Series X/S by stating, “With my journey far from over, I am excited and inspired by what is ahead of us.” It is hard not to be somewhat excited about the studio’s future, especially with Game Pass becoming increasingly more appealing and Xbox’s impressive upcoming first-party games. From Fable to Gears of War: E-Day, there is a lot to look forward to, so long as Xbox doesn’t cancel them at the last minute.
Xbox will almost certainly begin its next era with a more aggressive approach to its porting efforts, becoming more of a third-party publisher and relying less on hardware. Microsoft has already teased that the next Xbox consoles could resemble PCs more than their predecessors. That wouldn’t be particularly surprising, especially as Xbox’s relative lack of success in the tentative console wars with this generation positions it rather poorly going forward.
More so than its rivals, Xbox is in a unique position to expand beyond what we traditionally associate with a gaming titan and alter the gaming industry for the better. It could also all go horribly wrong, as the past two generations have so unfortunately proved. Ultimately, we all want Xbox to succeed, if only to help keep its employees in work and enjoy its often excellent first-party fare. While the Xbox Series X/S era may be over, it is exciting to look forward to the future to see what Xbox will do next.
- Brand
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Xbox
- Original Release Date
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November 10, 2020
- Original MSRP (USD)
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Series X priced at US$499 and the Series S priced at US$299
- Weight
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9.8 lb
