Microsoft has confirmed to The Verge that it has ceased manufacturing all Xbox One consoles.
While we learned back in July 2020 that the 4K-capable Xbox One X and all-digital Xbox One had been discontinued, Microsoft is now revealing that the base Xbox One model is also no longer in production.
Notably, this move came not in 2021, but in 2020.
“To focus on production of Xbox Series X / S, we stopped production for all Xbox One consoles by the end of 2020,” Cindy Walker, senior director of Xbox console product marketing, confirmed in a statement to The Verge.
The timing of this reveal is particularly notable, as it comes shortly after Bloomberg confirmed that Sony will produce more PlayStation 4 units in 2022 than originally planned. Per the outlet, Sony is looking to lean on the PS4 amid PS5 shortages, which are expected to continue for some time.
It should be noted, however, that Microsoft’s broader gaming approach isn’t as platform-specific as Sony’s. In addition to the Xbox Series X/S being able to play all Xbox One games via backward compatibility, there are hundreds of Xbox One titles that can also be played on PC or even Android, iOS and web browsers through Xbox Game Pass’ Cloud Gaming streaming service.
The company is also still set to support the Xbox One for a yet-to-be-determined amount of time. Beyond the fact that many games (like the recently released Halo Infinite) are still coming out on all Xbox consoles, the few titles so far that are Series X/S exclusive, like Microsoft Flight Simulator, will be made playable on the Xbox One via Cloud Gaming.
All told, though, the Xbox One has had a storied run since its November 2013 launch. Under the leadership of executive Don Mattrick, the console had an infamously rocky launch that controversially emphasized general entertainment, the Kinect and an “always-on” internet requirement. Sony took advantage of these early stumbles to get a strong start with its own PS4 console.
In 2014, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella appointed then-Microsoft Studios (now Xbox Game Studios) chief Phil Spencer to take over the Xbox division. In the years since, Spencer’s team has helped increase the Xbox brand’s popularity through initiatives like backwards compatibility, Xbox Game Pass, cross-play and major acquisitions.
Looking ahead, Xbox Game Studios’ lineup includes Redfall (summer 2022) and Starfield (November 2022), as well as undated titles like Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, The Outer Worlds 2, Avowed and Everwild. A more extensive breakdown of what to expect from all of Xbox studios can be found here.
Source: The Verge
