Don't expect an Xbox Series X Pro or mid-gen upgrade anytime soon
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Don't expect an Xbox Series X Pro or mid-gen upgrade anytime soon
Microsoft's Phil Spencer has ruled out an Xbox Series X upgrade for the time being
Microsoft’s CEO of Gaming, Phil Spencer, has poured cold water on any chance of a mid-gen upgrade to the Xbox Series X, even though we’re approaching the console’s third birthday.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Spencer said he “doesn’t feel an imperative” to roll out something akin to an Xbox Series X Pro.
“That’s not the feedback we’re getting right now. Right now, we’re pretty set on the hardware we have,” Spencer said.
Microsoft has just announced an upgrade to the Xbox Series S, however. The Carbon Black Xbox Series S comes with a 1TB SSD and a new price tag of $349, a $50 increase. That’s a steal when you consider the cheapest Xbox Expansion Card is $79, though you can often find the Xbox Series S cheaper than MSRP, particularly during Black Friday.
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Xbox Series X upgrade
🙅♂️ Microsoft has ruled out a mid-gen upgrade to Xbox Series X, for now
🤫 Head of Xbox Phil Spencer said the company hasn’t seen demand for an upgrade
👴 The Xbox Series X is the most powerful console on the market, but it’s almost three years old
🤔 Microsoft released the Xbox One X four years after the Xbox One
Microsoft released a mid-cycle upgrade for the Xbox One three years after it was released in the form of the Xbox One S, but we had to wait four years for the Xbox One X to arrive. Sony followed a similar pattern, releasing a PS4 Slim and the PS4 Pro just over three years after the PlayStation 4’s 2013 launch.
It’s likely we’ll see something similar this time around, but with both the Xbox Series X and PS5 being plagued by stock issues at the start of the generation and many still waiting to see truly next-gen games, it does seem premature to release new hardware.
That hasn’t stopped both Microsoft and Sony from selling new accessories, though. Microsoft continues to release new Xbox Series X colors, and Sony released the PS5 DualSense Edge Pro Controller and the PSVR 2. The latter, however, isn’t selling quite as well as Sony may have initially hoped.
To celebrate the launch of Starfield on September 6, Microsoft is also launching a Starfield Xbox controller and Xbox Wireless Headset, and you can also pick up the Starfield Constellation Edition which comes with a fully-functioning smartwatch and other exclusive goodies.