Xbox Series S Parity Clause Is Staying Put, Phil Spencer Says

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As a dedicated gamer myself, I’ve noticed the Xbox Series S has been under some scrutiny, but let me tell you, Microsoft isn’t backing down from their console game. In fact, Phil Spencer, the chief of Microsoft Gaming, views the Series S as a key factor in setting us apart in the competitive market. And guess what? Developers are going to keep catering to both the Series X and Series S when it comes to games on our platform – that’s not changing, according to Spencer.

In conversation with Destin Legarie, Spencer pointed out that Microsoft currently holds a significant edge due to the Xbox Series S. This is because contemporary popular platforms such as the Steam Deck and ROG Ally share similarities in terms of power and performance with the Series S.

When considering systems such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally, we have an Xbox Series S-like game version that’s optimized for the specifications of many devices currently being released. I believe this approach benefits us, and he even mentioned the anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 as an example.

As far as I can gather, Spencer mentioned independently to GamerTag Radio that he has communicated with the president of Nintendo and intends to offer Xbox games for the potential Switch 2 device.

Speaking as a passionate enthusiast, when I inquired about the possibility of modifying or eliminating the seemingly equal “parity clause” between the Xbox Series X and S, Spencer responded (through VGC) with an intriguing twist: “In fact, I’m currently considering it almost exactly the opposite way.

There’s been a lot of discussion about how the Xbox Series X and Series S perform, with many game developers from various sectors sharing their thoughts on the difficulties of making games run smoothly on the less powerful console.

For Baldur’s Gate 3, problems with the Series S version delayed its launch on Xbox. Initially, Stalker 2’s creators, GSC Game World, thought it was impossible to bring the game to Series S because of the console’s technical constraints. There are questions about how GTA 6 will perform on Series S, but Take-Two isn’t concerned. Lately, Black Myth: Wukong developers have mentioned that their port’s delay is due to the Series S limitations.

Regarding sales figures, the Nintendo Switch (Series S) initially outsold the Nintendo Switch (Series X) in the U.S. starting from their launch in 2020. However, this trend has reversed as the Series X now represents about 51% of all Series X and S consoles sold domestically. The reason for the initial success of the Series S was its widespread availability compared to the Series X, which faced supply-chain issues during the pandemic. This factor contributed to the Series S’s early lead over its pricier, more powerful counterpart. However, Microsoft anticipates that by the end of the Nintendo Switch (Series X|S) generation, the Series S will surpass the Series X due to its lower cost.

In the interview, Spencer expressed his viewpoint that the Series S plays a crucial role in Microsoft’s hardware lineup. He also mentioned that it’s not a weak performer and is capable of running new games effectively.

Modern engine scalability enables games to range from ray-traced graphics on high-end, multi-thousand dollar desktop computers to power-efficient handheld devices. In my opinion, the Xbox Series S has been beneficial for our collection of games. I’m currently playing Indiana Jones on it, and it looks fantastic. It’s more than capable of handling current-generation games exceptionally well.

According to Spencer, the Xbox Series S has significantly impacted Microsoft and will remain a crucial guiding principle for their development teams in the future.

As a game enthusiast, I was thrilled when Spencer brought up the prospect of Starfield gracing the PS5 screens during our conversation. In a different talk, he emphasized Microsoft’s ambition to come out on top in the competitive hardware market.

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2025-01-28 00:09