As Microsoft prepares for the launch of the Xbox Series X, they’ve decided to halt production for two of their current generation systems. The company has officially begun the process of ending production of the Xbox One S Digital Edition and the more advanced Xbox One X. While it was initially rumored for bit, the company officially confirmed the decision with The Verge in a statement while also reassuring that the Xbox One S, the current standard version, will continue to be mass produced on a global scale.
It’s clear that Microsoft is fully preparing for the inevitable release of their next gen-console, as the statement shows that Microsoft is going to be fully committed leading up to, and after it’s initial launch. “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.” There was no reason given as to why Microsoft is keeping the Xbox One S around, but it’s more than likely that they’ve done this so that anyone who is still interested in trying out an Xbox One will be pointed to this iteration by the company.
As for the now soon to be discontinued Xbox One S Digital Edition and the Xbox One X, this doesn’t come as all that surprising. Both systems have been fairly hard to come by in recent weeks, which also initially sparked the rumor before being confirmed by the company. The world wide effects of the COVID-19 Pandemis may have also been a major factor in this, as the majority of people who are social distancing have been playing video games much more than before.
With that in mind, it’s also a bit sad that both systems will soon be on their way out, as each one offered a unique way to enjoy games on an Xbox. The Xbox One S Digital Edition was only announced last year, and is essentially the exact same version as the Xbox One S expect it’s without disc-tray, removing the ability to play physical games on it. On the other end of the spectrum, the Xbox One X is a total powerhouse, giving gamers the ability to play some of their games with natural 4K resolution support complete with HDR and supremely enhanced graphical settings.
The Xbox Series X is supposedly going to launch this year, and will be competing with Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 5, which is currently ramping up production at the same time. Microsoft already explained to us how the Xbox Velocity Architecture will be changing the way we enjoy games in the next generation, and soon we’ll be seeing some world-first gameplay of some of the first-party titles on the system, such as the much anticipated Halo Infinite. On top of that, Microsoft has also announced that the upcoming Project xCloud will be part of the Xbox Games Pass Ultimate, making the cloud based service that much more accessible.