The peak Console Wars period, when even South Park dedicated a couple of episodes to taking the p*ss, seems to be a long way behind us. And the future is murkier than ever before, particularly for Xbox.
The leaked news that the next console from the company could cost around $1200 understandably caused some pretty immediate consternation from those who usually favour the console, as well as those who are concerned about the ecosystem more generally.
Now I'm not here to defend Xbox's investment practices or approach to game and console development. The purchase of Activision Blizzard for a staggering $69 billion has continued to be a millstone around the companies neck, forcing them into swinging cuts for first party studios, leading to the loss of thousands of jobs and the cancellation of many games that were in active development.
That said, there is a world where the next Xbox costing so much makes some sense, even if it won't have the universal potential of the models they have released to date.
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$1200 For An Xbox? It Depends What It's For
It's no secret that Xbox has been doing everything it can to further integrate the console and PC gaming ecosystems, and overall it has made it a better experience for the player. Whether it relates to seamlessly transitioning between platforms on the go, with Play Anywhere, or playing with friends who are on the other platform, there are less restrictions than ever.
That's why it does, at the very least, make some sense for the company to consider producing a hyper-premium console for their next release. I think a lot of the potential friction can be alleviated if we just reframe how we think about what it might be.
If the next Xbox comes with all of the features of a gaming PC (with the performance to match), then asking that much doesn't seem totally unreasonable, particularly when a mid-range gaming PC costs a similar amount.
If it comes with all of the practicality features of a PC, with the usability and comfort of a console (i.e. easy switching between monitor and television, or between mouse, keyboard and controller), it could be a great all-in-one solution that covers all the bases, from work to streaming to gaming.
Outside of that, there are some steps that Xbox could take to make the offering more compelling.
For instance, access to free multiplayer (which uses requires a £10.99 a month Premium Game Pass subscription), would save the multiplayer focused gamer around £132 per year.
You'd make back the cost in around a dozen years in the UK on that alone, and around eight and a half years in the US (thanks to sub savings).
Now, obviously that's still a long time, but that's one example of how they could make the console cost less shocking to the consumer.
It also leaves the door open for later, cheaper versions, similar to what we've seen with the Series S, or Digital Editions of the existing generation of consoles.
Once they've done that, I really don't see why it's such an outlandish idea.
Topics: Xbox, Xbox Series X, Activision Blizzard