Microsoft Officially Moves On From Xbox One

It's the video game circle of life: a console once heralded as a next-gen, state-of-the-art technology becomes an obsolete piece of hardware easily discarded by developers and users alike. For the Xbox One, that time has come, as Microsoft has announced no new titles for the 8th-generation console will be made by Xbox Game Studios moving forward. This doesn't come as a surprise, considering the Xbox One's successor — the Xbox Series X|S — debuted over three years ago.

The Xbox One, which succeeded the Xbox 360, launched nearly a decade ago in November 2013. It was discontinued in 2020, but new games were still available for the console, as well as games developed for the X|S that were designed to also work with the older console. 

However, that creates more work (and costs more money) for developers, who typically are ready to move on to the next console, where they aren't restricted by hardware limitations. As Microsoft looks to its future, Xbox One gamers will still have a vast library of existing titles they can play. Additionally, there is one way for them to still play new X|S games on their older consoles — even if the games are no longer developed to play natively on Xbox One.

Microsoft has made a big push into cloud gaming, and shows no signs of slowing its momentum. Xbox One users will have the ability to play certain Xbox Series X|S games, like "Starfield" and "Forza Motorsport," using Xbox Cloud Gaming. Xbox Cloud Gaming launched in 2020, allowing users to play games streamed from the cloud. The service was introduced to the Xbox One a year later, allowing gamers to play next-gen titles on their older consoles. Just as streaming movies and TV has largely displaced physical media, many believe that eventually cloud gaming could dominate the industry.

While the Xbox One is officially being laid to rest, the Xbox Series X isn't going anywhere. Earlier this month, Microsoft showed off several hotly-anticipated new titles and DLC at its Xbox Games Showcase. Whether it was the deep dive on "Starfield," or "Avowed" getting its first gameplay trailer, the Xbox Series consoles have some serious potential in games coming soon.

It's clear that gamers with an Xbox Series X don't have to worry about their consoles following the fate of the Xbox One anytime soon. However, there's a slight possibility it may be the beginning of the end for the Xbox Series S. While the smaller, cheaper console is the same generation as the Series X, its technical specs are far inferior. Despite the recent announcement of a new and improved Series S, many game developers are already expressing frustration with its hardware limitations.