Despite arguably having its finger on the pulse of next-generation gaming and ticking most of the boxes gamers have been clamoring for, Microsoft still found a way to muff up an aspect of its upcoming console release by tossing out a new naming convention that left many fans initially scratching their heads.
Last week during The Game Awards, Microsoft unveiled the name of its Project Scarlett next-gen console, dubbed Xbox Series X, to which the internet offered a collective “what?”
Perhaps, now that the dust has settled, the meme machines have cooled, and the internet has had its fun, executives within Microsoft are now out in force attempting to redirect the narrative it seems.
According to a report from Business Insider (France), Microsoft intends for fans and customers to refer to the upcoming Xbox Series X as simply Xbox. Last week’s name reveal was set as a marker to “help” buyers differentiate between the umbrella gaming experience in which Xbox Series X represents and the top-tier feature sets that will come with new versions of the consoles.
Microsoft seems to want to draw a divide between tiers of offerings down the road, similar to Apple and its iPad, where the iPad Pro represents a tablet with the company’s best feature sets and its Air or Mini offer fewer and different features.
Microsoft is using the Xbox Series X title to help broaden gamers’ view of the family of consoles and experiences.
Similar to what fans have seen with previous generations, the name ‘Xbox Series X’ allows room for additional consoles in the future, the Microsoft rep told Business Insider.
From an early interpretation of Microsoft’s new rebranding effort, it appears the company is setting the stage for a refresh in naming that could see separate upcoming consoles identified in groupings based on features, hardware specs, and compatibility.
Presumably, the Xbox Series X will represent a top tier model of the Xbox console being offered at the time like the One X, and eventually a Series S like the One S and maybe even a Series C designed specifically for xCloud gaming.
At the end of the day, Microsoft’s Xbox naming may not be as streamlined a Sony’s Playstation + version number, but at least the company appears to be ironing out a plan for future console releases that should help customers identify the best value proposition for each potential purchase.
