The Xbox Series X Doesn't Need A Major Upgrade Right Now, Suggests Phil Spencer

Hmm... ' Xbox will not be increasing game prices in the near future'. I might buy an Xbox Series XL in 3-4 years when my PC becomes obsolete.

My series x isn’t playing my Indy 8 bit games fast enough I need more power.

Multiple high profile releases capped at 30fps on a console that’s marketed as “4k” and “up to 120fps” isn’t reason enough? I mean surely no one expected 4k and 120fps at the same time but these slideshows make me want to go back to PC.

I was going to buy the Disney afternoon collection but then I decided I better wait for a series X Pro so the frame rates are correct

@AvalancheRyder I know what you mean. I love the convenience of consoles and just love the Xbox but seeing most new/big games coming out capped at 30fps matters to me. I’m just unsure if it’s worth spending the money on a monster PC rig.

They will only reveal the console last min to not discourage current console sales. It all depends on stock levels and demand, if demand and stock are high then they won't start selling the next one. As soon as they stop production and start with the Xbox xx then we would see an announcement. Also it depends on the competition, except Nintendo who are very much doing their own thing right now!

Of course it needs an upgrade, it cant do 4k 60fps with ray tracing. I want the quality mode in games at 60fps, fed up having to choose performance mode lol

Starfield says otherwise
Of course that’s what they’ll say until they announce it next year. Doesn’t matter anyway, if Sony do it, they will also

@Aidax89 I think Microsoft studios are choosing not release games with 60fps performance modes which is obviously a ridiculous decision which i do not understand

We don't need mid gen upgrades at all

We still haven't utilized direct storage and other Velocity Architecture features of the Series S and X. This is the biggest disappointment for me. 3 years later and still missing.

Thank god. We haven't even seen this generation's capabilities yet.

@Aidax89 neither can 95% of PC hardware out there. Ray tracing at 4K 60fps is a niche made to seem bigger thanks to YouTubers.

That Phil statement is avoiding the question. Nowhere there did he say there won’t be a mid Gen refers/pro upgrade, all he said is “for now”, and if the thing was launching this December we would already know.

Next year he will likely come around and reveal the thing. There is no way they will let Sony be the only one with a mid-Gen refresh.

Series X is still hard to find on shelves and they even addressed that at the show, saying it should now be a little easier. So i can see them not in a hurry to come out with something that will be hard to find for players. However the question i have is, if the rumors are true about the PS5 Pro launching in late 2024 next to the Switch 2, would Xbox stand back and watch everyone fight for the 2 new boxes in the holiday season, would they be ok with losing the power game to the PS5 Pro and if so for how long? I think there’s more to this than good ole Phil is going to say at the moment.

@Kloppo Same, I switched from PC for the simplicity. And as much as I'd love a 4090 rig, I don't game nearly enough to make it worthwhile. I'll probably just skip any games on console that don't have a 60 FPS mode.

Super glad to hear Phil double down on that. This is another way of saying "we believe in generations (for reals)" I like that console is a commitment for a chunk of time, not a passing annual upgrade cycle. PCs are PCs consoles are consoles, and that's a cycle I like to see them commit to. Last gen was awkward because for the last few years it was like a new gen but also not a new gen, and that feeling carried over to the new gen.

There's perks to getting "the latest" with the constant upgrade cycle, but the bad outweighs the good in terms of cost and what it means to a generational cycle when it's reduced the PC continuous upgrade cycle. It undermines the whole point of getting into consoles if you're doing constant upgrades either way to "keep up."

If you really want the best performance, you shouldn't be playing non-console-exclusives on consoles. Fortunately all Microsoft games get released on PC the same day.

I think if anything needs an upgrade, it is the S not the X. It seems to me that the S is holding the X back, which is only going to get worse as time goes on. Already, Baldur's Gate 3 is set to skip the Xbox completely this August because they cannot get the game to run efficiently on the S. The PS5 is getting it, and yet, on paper, the Series X is more powerful. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the S. Microsoft should have gone the same route as the PlayStation, and had exactly the same architecture in the S as in the X, but sans the disc drive.

The S is now a real problem for Microsoft because they cannot start to have games for the X only as that will, quite rightly, infuriate those that opted for the S having been told it would play everything that the X could, albeit with some caveats. This now means that in order to keep to that promise, those gaming on the X will have to watch as the PlayStation 5 gets games that the X is capable of running, skip the Xbox because of the S. They will also likely see games 'dummed-down' so that they can be played on the S, whereas the X could have had a much 'shinier' upgraded version.

What Microsoft will do about this now, I have no idea. They (and as a consequence, we) are likely stuck with this problem for the entirety of this generation, which is more than unfortunate.

Remember how we were promised games at 4k/60 with this generation? I’m ok with game running at 4k/30 but I can’t help but wonder why they thought that was going to be a standard.

I think developers need to learn how to get the best and really push the Series X and PS5 before upgrades happen. Some studios are starting to get there now but honestly It could be another couple of years before we really see what a Series X can do.

You have to wonder if Xbox does not do an Series X upgrade in 2024 that PS may quietly scrap thiers to save money on something which they will have to mass produce at a loss.

2023 Sony gives me that kind of vibe of just doing the bare minimum now because they will make good profits without taking too many risks. They can run off of old IP, Wolverine and some GaaS games.

If Sony were to release a PS5 Pro, Microsoft would need to counter it or be left behind. Phil obviously knows this, but he’s not going to casually spill the beans on their R&D projects in an interview before they’re 100% ready to announce a new product.

Ask Nintendo whether they plan to release a Switch successor anytime soon. They’ll keep denying it… up until the day of the announcement.

I look at it as the console hasn't reached its peak. Look at the last gen. It's always the last 2 years. People say "OMG the graphics ain't amazing" most games when this started were still developing in UE4. Development takes around 4/5 years for a new game. Ignore things like ubisoft just pumping out games. I will to this day say one thing "is it a good game" yes we expect good graphics. If the game is s**t what's the point

Phil is spot on. We all know the Series X is a powerhouse for it's price. And we've all seen what certain Devs can do with this tech and time. Coalition with Gears, Wolfenstein and Doom, Forza Horizon 5 (playground) all stunning on Series X. Playing Forza on an LG Oled C42 is mind Blowing to look at.

So Phil is right here for me. Just wish more Devs would push this thing to the max.

Xbox one has to be left behind please now!
Do it!! ✅💚

@Cakefish Nintendo are lucky their console sells like Fizzy Cola off the shelves as that thing is seriously under powered now. I have a few friends who want an upgrade but Nintendo just aren't playing ball. It's a really weak and old console now. Nintendo are always unique and that's Nintendo. I just want them to make a proper Console. A GameCube 2 please!!!

I'm fine with the series X has it is. I don't like the .5, half upgraded, pro, systems in general. Xsx doesn't need it. If thye make a system after this generation years down the road, that's cool. But for now series X is all good.

I'm glad to hear it. These mid gen upgrades are ridiculous. I'll be glad when exclusives are all but dead as well, so I no longer have to buy two consoles just to play all my fave games.

One thing I was disappointed in is that I wanted to see a XB mobile gaming device along the lines of SteamDeck and the Asus ROG.

How I wish XB would release a portable gaming device that runs only on battery.

xScreen just doesn't do it for me, I need something I can play away from a power source. Ideally with swappable batteries so I the battery life wouldn't be an issue!

@AvalancheRyder

Also in a few months time, you be able to use geforce now servers with pc game pass / ultimate game pass. So can get access to 4090 graphic card for £17.99 a month for month or two to play say starfield at 60 frames per second if one want to.

I’m disappointed that the “power narrative” was incorrect, but I also understand that most games aren’t taking advantage of all that’s there with the Series X. I have had a lot of fun with the X and S both though, so I can’t really complain.

If PlayStation is really releasing a Pro though, one would have to think Xbox needs to do the same.

@Aidax89 Ray tracing is a waste of time i only know one person who uses it and he has a 4090

@AvalancheRyder I believe that's on the devs, call of duty was 60fps on xbox 360 so games like redfall only being 30 when cyberpunk is 60 that's a dev choice not a hardware limitation

When phil came on and announced the new series s.

my heart was absolutely pounding because I just bought a series x at Christmas so I'm sooo glad no upgraded series x 's was announced

Announcing a series x Pro just isn't needed at the moment so I'm so glad nothing was announced mid generation

I do think next year or the year after something will be announced.AS long has the have the games that will support it and there is an actual justification but at this moment and maybe next year there is absolutely no need for a series x upgrade

Will there even be another generation? We may all be running Gamepass through our TV or dongle

@AlwaysPlaying I'm speaking of the technology. Games being released are not using the features they boasted the capabilities of the console had. They are made using the same tools and features as last gen. There are new tools and features we have yet to discover 3 years after console launch. Features like direct storage are non existent, IF these features worked we would see a big jump in how games look and play, and actual generational leap in technology. Not just a new system with higher specs.

@Aidax89 your dream of 4K/60fps with ray tracing on a console that has no DLSS/FSR capabilities is just that; a dream. I have a £2,500ish PC, which will do 4K/60fps effortlessly. But throwing ray tracing into the mix will get wildly different results, depending on the game. Generally I have to enable DLSS features to get that sort of performance, and if the game doesn't support it then I turn it down to 1440p.