The next generation of Xbox consoles is around a year away, with Project Scarlett tentatively planned for a holiday 2020 release. X019, Xbox’s fan convention, proved to be an opportunity for reflection for both Xbox fans and Xbox’s leadership. Xbox bossPhil Spencertook on a willing role of acknowledging Xbox’s past while providing a clear and confident picture of the Xbox’s future. Spencer, always up to the challenge, had a clear message regarding Xbox learning from past mistakes.
“We’re all in on Project Scarlett” is how Spencer characterizes Xbox’s approach to the next generation, speaking with The Verge. “I want to compete, and I want to compete in the right ways” is what stands out from Spencer’s comments from a more strategic views. From there, Spencer gets more specific about Xbox’s plans and how things will change between generations. More to the point, Spencer makes clear that he expectsProject Scarlettto be competitive in a way that that Xbox One wasn’t able to be at launch.
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Spencer starts by specifically referencing the two of the Xbox One’s biggest issues at launch, its price and its hardware power. In comparison with the PS4, the Xbox One cost $100 more. And in terms of power, the base Xbox One struggled to provide consistent 1080p, as games scaled to the PS4’s stronger hardware and then had to lower graphics potential for the Xbox One. Simply put, the Xbox One cost more and looked worse. That’s in part due to the decision to bundle theKinect camerawith the console, but the outcome is the same.
With Project Scarlett, Xbox won’t be making the same mistake. “I would say a learning from the Xbox One generation is we will not be out of position on power or price,” is how Spencer describes Xbox’s views. That’s not a promise that Project Scarlett will be cheaper than the PS5, nor that Project Scarlett will be more powerful than the PS5. What it means is thatProject Scarlett will have a priceand power level that’s appropriate to be competitive. And if both the PS5 and Project Scarlett are competitively priced for their power, then the winner will be which platform delivers the best games and services, which Spencer clearly believes Xbox will deliver.
Phil Spencer obviously can’t talk about what gamesXbox Game Studioswill deliver alongside Project Scarlett’s launch, so in that regard fans will have to wait. But Spencer does discuss services that he believes give Project Scarlett an edge over the competition. Specifically, Xbox will have both Xbox Game Pass, robust cross-play support, and backward compatibility. And Spencer’s smart to focus on these aspects of the Xbox platform, because Xbox has shown how great they are and how much Xbox players enjoy them.
Now Xbox just has to persuade non-Xbox gamers that Project Scarlett is the next-generation console to buy, which is no easy feat. Yet clearly Spencer believes in what the Xbox team is working toward.
