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.css-14iz86j-BoldTextfont-weight:bold; Seven years since the Xbox One hit the shelves Microsoft has released it’s next generation of consoles.
“This will be an era where games feel tremendously better than before,” Phil Spencer tells Newsbeat.
The boss of gaming at Microsoft says the real difference will be all about “speed and feel” with games being “much more responsive to players”.
The new devices launch just ahead of Sony’s PlayStation 5 with a .css-yidnqd-InlineLink:linkcolor:#3F3F42;.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visitedcolor:#696969;.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visitedfont-weight:bolder;border-bottom:1px solid #BABABA;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:focus,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:focusborder-bottom-color:currentcolor;border-bottom-width:2px;color:#B80000;@supports (text-underline-offset:0.25em).css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visitedborder-bottom:none;-webkit-text-decoration:underline #BABABA;text-decoration:underline #BABABA;-webkit-text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;-webkit-text-decoration-skip-ink:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;text-underline-offset:0.25em;.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:focus,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:focus-webkit-text-decoration-color:currentcolor;text-decoration-color:currentcolor;-webkit-text-decoration-thickness:2px;text-decoration-thickness:2px;color:#B80000;different vision for the future of games.
Despite giving the Xbox Series X and its digital only little brother the Xbox Series S the big sell in our interview Phil Spencer seems acutely aware of the context into which these machines are being released: “We’re at a time of a lot of uncertainty for families,” he says.
“Gaming is playing a really important role, and I don’t want to downplay the investments people have already made in Xbox.
“We have a commitment to them, they’ll continue to see games on the consoles they already own from us, and that’s important.
“If this isn’t the right time for people to make a multi hundred pound investment in the next generation, that’s fine with us – we’d rather just keep them playing.”
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The new consoles
If people choose to spend £450 to upgrade to an Xbox Series X they’ll be getting what Microsoft are calling the most powerful console on the market.
Phil explains: “We have new hard drive technology which loads things tremendously faster, so less waiting when you click a button.
“How fast things happens on screen is going to be much more responsive than in previous generations.
“The box is just snappier and the convenience factor of gaming in this next generation is going to be incredibly high and I’m looking forward for people to experience it.”
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The Xbox Series S is a digital only version which offers similar upgrades in graphics and speed for £250.
Choice is important to Phil: “We’ve really seen this generation move from a device focused to play focused.
“Let’s meet the players where they are, whether that’s on our current console, our next console, on the PC, or even on their phone, let’s allow them to play Xbox, wherever they are.
“And when they’re ready to buy our next generation of consoles will be here ready for them to sell one.”
The games
The elephant in the room is the lack of a Halo title on release day – something that was originally the plan.
Once again Phil Spencer seems to be comfortable playing the long game: “I’m a big Halo fan, and the opportunity to have a it as a launch title was special.
“But we’re dealing in a different world today, we’re dealing with, you know, teams of hundreds of people that are working from home and I think the health and kind of safety of our teams has to be the most Paramount thing.
“That wasn’t a decision that we wanted to make but it was the right decision.”
A lack of big hitiign exclusive titles is one reason why some beleive Microsoft were outsold by Sony and Nintendo in the previous generation.
Altjought here might not be a new Halo or similar
- Press X To Continue launches on 10 November
- You can listen to a preview and subscribe now on BBC Sounds
