Xbox Series X/S Hits Five: Did We Conjure a Gaming Giant, or Just a Very Shiny Question Mark?
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Five years in, Eurogamer's Tom Orry reckons the Xbox Series X/S, despite solid hardware, finds its brand connection fading amidst layoffs, price hikes, and a shift from console contender to publishing titan – leaving many gamers to wonder about its future.
Alright, mates, gather 'round the digital campfire, because we're peering into the crystal ball (which, let's be honest, is probably just a very fancy LED screen) to ponder the Xbox Series X/S as it clocks in at a respectable five years old. Has it been a grand adventure, a valiant quest, or more of a "wait, where did I put my spellbook?" kind of era?
Tom Orry over at Eurogamer recently penned a brilliant, if slightly melancholic, piece wondering if there's even anything *left* to say about these consoles. And you know what? Fair dinkum, he's got a point. My own digital tea leaves have been swirling with similar questions.
I reckon many of us – myself included – had genuinely high hopes for the Series X (and, yes, even its cheeky little sibling, the Series S, despite the doom-and-gloom prophecies about it holding back game dev). Microsoft, bless its corporate heart, seemed to have learned a few lessons from the Xbox One era. It felt like they were ready to cast a new, more powerful spell, buoyed by a stable of freshly acquired game studios, all given the freedom to conjure up whatever digital wonders they desired.
Sure, launching without a single exclusive title was a bit like turning up to a wizard's duel without your wand – plenty of enhanced previous-gen spells, mind you, but nothing truly *new*. But even then, I felt pretty chuffed about the launch. Why? Game Pass, of course! That magical subscription service felt like a bottomless bag of gaming goodies, instantly granting access to enhanced beauties like *Forza Horizon 4* and *Gears 5*, plus a trove of older gems. *Halo Infinite* might've missed its grand entrance (and, well, we all know how that *eventually* panned out, eh?), but the next-gen vibes were definitely there. I was ready to dive in, wand in hand, ready for adventure!
Fast forward five years, though, and the digital winds have certainly shifted. As Tom succinctly put it, the sentiment around the Xbox brand feels like it's hit an all-time low, and honestly, it's hard to argue. We’ve seen a grim procession of layoffs and project cancellations, which always feels like a bit of a digital gut-punch. Then there's the whole 'first-party games popping up on rival platforms' caper – a bold move, sure, but one that makes you wonder about the very essence of console exclusivity.
And let’s not forget the shadow cast by real-world events, with Microsoft's technological involvement in Israel's occupation of Gaza and the tragic loss of Palestinian lives leading to calls for a boycott of Xbox. These aren't just market trends; they're ethical quandaries that weigh heavily on the minds of players. Add to that the ever-climbing price scrolls for the consoles themselves (they cost *more* now than at launch, mate, go figure!) and a hike to Game Pass Ultimate's monthly mana cost, and you can see why players are scratching their heads and wondering if the magic's worth the increasingly steep toll. Even for a longtime Xbox acolyte like myself (the 360 was potentially my favourite console of all time, for crying out loud!), the thought of moving on has crossed my mind.
Now, let's be fair dinkum: the Xbox Series X hardware itself? Solid as a wizard's tower. It's a beast, no slouch at all, capable of delivering a fantastic gaming experience for pretty much 95% of us. Yeah, it launched just before image reconstruction and ray tracing became proper staples of hardware design, so it can't quite keep pace with the bleeding edge of high-end PCs or something like a hypothetical PS5 Pro. But honestly, we haven't even properly maxed out this generation's spell slots yet! The lack of truly 'next-gen' looking games is a fair point against the idea of a whole new generation arriving in just a couple of years.
Remember when Xbox felt like it was finally about to challenge PlayStation for the digital throne again, much like the glorious 360 era? All those acquisitions, the promise of a steady stream of big releases, strong hardware, and Game Pass delivering unparalleled consumer value. It felt like the stars were aligning, like Microsoft was about to conjure up a proper rival. Years of digital mana spent, all that strategic wizardry, only to... well, seemingly exit that battle completely. It’s a bit like building a magnificent castle, only to declare you’re now running a lovely B&B instead.
Consoles have always tapped into that tribal human urge, haven't they? "My digital golem is better than your digital golem!" kind of banter. But now? That fierce console loyalty, that intrinsic pull, seems to be fading into the ether for many. Microsoft, the digital overlord that it is, probably doesn't care all that much, its vast finances no longer solely reliant on a small slice of the gaming pie. But for us, the players who've lived these gaming lives, five years on, my personal connection to the Xbox brand is genuinely disappearing. And I'm not sure there's a simple spell to bring it back. A curious, slightly bittersweet turning point, eh?
*Original musings by Tom Orry at Eurogamer.*
Tags: Xbox, Console Gaming, Game Pass, Gaming Industry, Microsoft
Original article: Eurogamer