In Theory: Can Microsoft deliver next-gen experiences while still supporting Xbox One?

Ridge Racer, Halo, Super Mario 64. Some might say that the most impactful console launches were those where cutting edge hardware was matched with gaming experiences we'd never seen before - titles that set the stage and the expectation level for the generation to come. Even if a specific next-gen platform exclusive wasn't an all-time great, experiences that pushed the technological state of the art still held a special place in our hearts - games like Ryse: Son of Rome or Killzone Shadowfall, for example. However, Microsoft is charting a different course with its Xbox Series X strategy. Yes, there will be first-party exclusives but these titles will still run on existing Xbox One hardware. Nobody will be left behind in the inevitable cross-gen period - but does this mean that the pioneering next-gen spirit is gone?

The current discussion stems from comments made by Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty in an interview with MCV. "As our content comes out over the next year, two years, all of our games, sort of like PC, will play up and down that family of devices," Booty said. "We want to make sure that if someone invests in Xbox between now and [Series X] that they feel that they made a good investment and that we're committed to them with content."

In short, Microsoft will continue its strategy of delivering first-party studio titles to both Xbox and PC - but for the next year or two, legacy consoles will be supported too. Before the interview, we knew that this would be the case for some titles - after all, Halo Infinite was specifically acknowledged as coming to Xbox One. However, the situation was less clear with other titles. An in-engine Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 trailer, for example, was recently released and according to Phil Spencer, "the game is being built to leverage the full power of Xbox Series X. The footage shared tonight was captured in-engine and reflects the power of Xbox Series X available to developers to deliver new universes, experiences and games in ways you have never imagined."

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