Xbox boss Phil Spencer has commented broadly and non-specifically about the price of the Xbox Series X. Speaking to IGN, Spencer said he feels confident about the price point, adding that he believes Microsoft has a “winning plan” for the next-generation console as it competes with the PlayStation 5.
“I feel good about the price we’re going to be able to get to,” Spencer said. “I feel good about the price and the performance capabilities that we have for Series X. I feel incredibly strong about the overall package.”
The Xbox Series X price isn’t set yet, it seems. Spencer said he is “eyes wide open” in regards to the final price of the console, adding that Microsoft will be looking at what Sony does in terms of pricing for the PlayStation 5. No matter what, however, Spencer said Microsoft believes it has a “winning plan” for the console.
“I believe we have a plan that can win; now we have to go execute,” he said.
Spencer went on to say that the overall goal with the Xbox Series X price is to “stay agile” and set a price that meets or surpasses the expectations of fans. He added that the value of the Xbox Series X is beyond the console alone, also factoring in the appeal of services like Xbox Game Pass and backwards compatibility. He also mentioned that the “Smart Delivery” feature is an offering that players might find value in to help them feel comfortable buying into the Xbox platform.
For comparison, the Xbox One and Xbox One X each launched at a $500 USD price point, before being discounted later in their lifecycles. The Xbox Series X is the fastest, most powerful Xbox console ever made, so it will presumably carry a premium price tag. Another interesting factor at play here is how Xbox Series X might not be the only next-gen console that Microsoft releases. The company is also rumored to release a less expensive, less powerful next-gen console, too.
Spencer has repeatedly said that he does not like the idea of console wars, but of course, Microsoft wants to do better for the upcoming console generation after the PS4 outsold the Xbox One by a large margin.
Also in the interview, Spencer said he feels “really good” after seeing the PlayStation 5 reveal in March.
“I feel really good about how Xbox Series X lines up [with the PlayStation 5],” Spencer said. The executive praised PlayStation system architect Mark Cerny for some of the innovations included with the PS5, including the SSD and some of its audio technology.
“It’s impressive, we like that; we saw the work that they did [with the PS5],” Spencer said.
“But we took a holistic view on our platform from CPU to GPU to RAM; the Velocity architecture; latency, back compat. It took us years to get to this point,” Spencer said of Microsoft’s approach with the Xbox Series X.
“When we finally saw the public disclosure [of the PlayStation 5], I felt even better about the choices we made on our platform,” Spencer said. “I expected that I would.”
The full interview with Spencer is incredibly in-depth and fascinating, as Spencer speaks candidly about a number of high-profile topics, including the impact of COVID-19 on Microsoft’s next-gen plans.
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