In recent days, we've started to see lots of news and reporting about Microsoft's next-gen Xbox plans, but what about Xbox Series X|S? Are those consoles set to carry on being supported? Well, despite Microsoft's focus moving away from those systems a little bit in the last few years, the company seemingly expects them to last well into the future - potentially even longer than Xbox One.
In a report from Windows Central, writer Jez Corden touches on the longevity of Xbox Series X|S when speaking about next-gen plans. Corden says "I'm told Microsoft expects the Gen-9 Xbox Series X|S to have a longer tail than usual", in-part due to a "broadening hardware ecosystem" once the more expensive next-gen system(s) enter the market.
"I'm told Microsoft expects the Gen-9 Xbox Series X|S and PS5 to have a longer tail than usual as a result of this "broadening" hardware endpoint ecosystem. It's only been recently that PS4 and Xbox One consoles have stopped seeing a full complement of major AAA games, with many service games still maintained on those older systems."
Of course, in recent years it's largely been third parties still supporting Xbox One, but it's been well-supported nonetheless, especially when you keep Xbox Cloud Gaming capabilities in mind as well. However, Xbox Series X and S still feel pretty modern in this day and age, and the report goes on to say that systems like the Switch 2 will keep them relevant for some time yet.
"Developers of all shapes and sizes, Microsoft included, are building games that target the Nintendo Switch 2, Steam Deck, and other lower-end types of devices. That'll continue for a good chunk of time, even after the next-gen Xbox launches."
Some of this seemingly is logical guesswork from the Xbox reporter, but it's interesting to discuss in any case, particularly when Corden says he's heard Microsoft reckons Xbox Series could last longer than past console generations. Ultimately, we'll have to wait and see how things shake out, but we expect Series X and S to be around to a good while yet with how next-gen is looking at this time.