Microsoft’s Phil Spencer: “Our Box Is Doing Well”; Moving Forward Needs To Be A “Substantial Change”

Microsoft'due south head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, has commented on the contempo Xbox 1.v rumors that have surfaced as of late.

Phil Spencer

During last week's Build conference in San Francisco, GamesBeat managed to tackle Spencer for an interview following the Build keynote.

One of the questions raised during the interview, concerned the development of an upgraded Xbox One console – the Xbox One and a Half (Xbox 1.5). An obvious question, since Microsoft has been hinting at possibly releasing optional hardware upgrades for the Xbox One. These 'upgrades' would allow Microsoft's console to stay current with new technologies, without forcing players to purchase yet another console in the near hereafter.

Phil Spencer On Xbox Ane and a half (Xbox 1.five)

With Sony possibly releasing a new PS4, called the PS4.5 for now, in the most future, information technology wouldn't exist too far fetched if Microsoft would follow the same approach. Recent rumors propose that Sony will be releasing the PS4.5 in the 1^st quarter of 2022, but some sites seem to exist suggesting that Sony volition be releasing their 'new' console in the 2^nd half of 2022. This suggestion is said to be based on a three-month old earnings telephone call from AMD, in which the company mentions "new semi-custom business organization" in the second half of 2022.

It might seem the most obvious road to accept for Microsoft, but not so much for Spencer. During the GamesBeat interview, Spencer stated non to be such "a big fan of one and a half". According to Spencer, if he and his team would move forrard at all, they would practise so "in big numbers".

GamesBeat: What nearly Xbox 1 and a half?

Spencer: I don't know. Not a big fan of 1 and a half. I think about what happens in almost spaces. If I'm going to motion forward, I desire to motion frontward in big numbers.

While Spencer seems to empathize his competitor's motivations to possibly release an upgrade of an existing console, he and his Xbox team would merely move frontwards if this ways a "substantial change".

GamesBeat: Twenty-7!

Spencer: There you lot go. But I don't know anything about any of the rumors out at that place. I tin sympathize other teams' motivations, why they might want to go practice that. But for us, our box is doing well. It performs. It's reliable. The service is up. If we go forwards with anything, I want to make information technology a substantial modify.

Practise you feel that Microsoft should follow suit and perchance release an upgraded Xbox One in the near future? Or do your adopt to move frontward in big numbers, only like Spencer? Hit the comments.