Microsoft’s cross-gen game development strategy is coming to an end, with a top company executive confirming that first-party studios are done makingXbox Onetitles. This development effectively puts an end to the speculation aboutwhen cross-generation game releases will end in favor of the Xbox Series S/X.
Although the dawn of every console generation ushers in an era of cross-gen releases while the new systems establish a foothold in the market, that transitory period has been rather long this time around. Both Microsoft and Sony’s ninth-generation consoles have been out for nearly three years by now, yet their predecessors are still actively supported by both first- and third-party developers alike. This uncharacteristically long life cycle is widely attributed to the coronavirus pandemic causing immense semiconductor shortages coinciding with the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S launches. Combined with theimpact that COVID-19 had on Xbox game development, Microsoft ended up making Xbox One titles for a full decade.
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However, withXbox now aiming to release four exclusive games per year, first-party studios are pulling the plug on Xbox One development, according to Matt Booty, the head of Microsoft Studios. In a recent interview with Axios, Booty revealed that the company’s only remaining teams doing Xbox One development are the ones that are supporting existing titles with long-term roadmaps such asMinecraft. This state of affairs largely fits with what ex-Microsoft VP Phil Harrison said in the run-up to the November 2013 launch of the Xbox One, when he vowed that the console will be supported for a decade.
Despite the fact that Microsoft subsidiaries are just about done making new games for the Xbox One, that’s not to say the company’s eight-generation console is in danger of becoming irrelevant anytime soon. On the contrary, most currentlyupcoming Xbox Series X/S games are also coming to the Xbox One. Out of 228 such previously announced releases that are yet to hit the market, 146 of them are confirmed to be launching on Microsoft’s last-gen system.
Additionally, Booty said that the company intends to keep supporting the Xbox One with Xbox Cloud Gaming, a streaming service that it’s currently offering as one of the perks of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription starting at $15 a month. All first-party Xbox Series X/S games that are technically unavailable on theXbox Onecan currently be experienced on the older console thanks to this cloud technology, with Booty’s comment implying that will remain the case for the foreseeable future.
