Backwards Compatibility and Cross-Play Are Priorities for Xbox Scarlett
If Microsoft’s focus on streaming and cloud services has you concerned about the future of consoles, you may find some of Xbox boss Phil Spencer’s recent comments reassuring. Despite the fact that the company is getting more and more into the digital side of things, it appears to still put a strong emphasis going forward on physical consoles, backwards compatibility and cross-play.
What Phil Spencer Said About Backwards Compatibility and Cross-Play
Spencer remarked on these matters while conversing with Verge. Specifically, he said, ” We had the discussion years ago ‘do we want to go do another generation?’ Yes, and do we think there will be multiple generations ahead of us? I actually think there probably is. So we’re going all in. We’re all-in on Project Scarlett and I want to compete, and I want to compete in the right ways which is why we’re focused on cross-play and backward compatibility.”
While it is reassuring to hear that Spencer expects “multiple generations ahead,” it is probably not too big a surprise to hear that Microsoft continues to care about backwards compatibility and cross-play. These are areas where Sony tends to come up short. Also, they are both things which are important to gamers. So, Microsoft continuing to have a strong focus on them is good for catering to the customers and competing with Sony.
Alos, speaking of Microsoft’s rivalry with Sony, we have been hearing a lot about what we can expect from both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Scarlett. Both next-gen consoles are expected to greatly enhance the experience of playing open world games. They should feature super short load times. Also, Scarlett will apparently have a focus on “frame rate and playability.”
We should be finding out a lot more about Xbox Scarlett as we move into 2020. So, continue to check back with us for more news about Microsoft’s next gen console.