The Xbox Series X release is just a few months away, launching this holiday season alongside the PS5. Both console manufacturers are gearing up for the big day, with Sony recently doubling production of its hardware from five million units to 10 million. The Japanese company is obviously feeling confident that the PS5 will have a stronger first two quarters on the market than the PS4, which sold 7.5 million units in the same time-frame.
Microsoft seems to be taking a different approach however, and has confirmed that it's already ceasing production of the current-gen Xbox One X - the most powerful console on the market at the moment, and the only one in Microsoft's ecosystem that's capable of supporting 4K gaming.
- Out now! Ghost of Tsushima review: Sword of doom
- Xbox Series X next-gen secret weapon poised to pulverise PS5
Microsoft has made if official, saying the Xbox One X will be no more, and that it's also going to put an end to the production of the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. The Xbox One S however, will continue to be manufactured. In a statement to The Verge, a Microsoft spokesperson said:
"As we ramp into the future with Xbox Series X, we’re taking the natural step of stopping production on Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. Xbox One S will continue to be manufactured and sold globally.”
That means that gamers who haven't upgraded to a 4K console yet and who were hoping to get a deal on the Xbox One X when the Series X launches now have a ticking clock to contend with as retailers shift their existing stock of the console. And anyone wanting to go all-digital needs to snap up an Xbox One S All-Digital Edition pretty sharpish, or shell out for a brand new digital version of the Xbox Series X - dubbed Project Lockhart and set to be unveiled later this month.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra comes at the OnePlus 8 Pro king and misses 💀
- PS5 Digital vs Xbox Series S: Sony's all digital PS5 has some serious competition...
It makes sense that Microsoft would eventually phase out its older consoles, but doing it this early before the launch of the Xbox Series X - and only a year after the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition was released - shows that it isn't afraid to usher its user base into the next generation by making the new hardware the only place for 4K or all-digital gaming within its family of consoles.
Considering the sales of the PS4 eclipsed that of the Xbox One X, Microsoft is understandably keen to get off to a running start this time around, and pushing the Xbox Series X by stopping production of the older and cheaper consoles that offer many of the same features is one way to ensure that happens.
Source: The Verge
