As September approaches, there's now less than three months until the next-gen consoles are planned to make their debut. Microsoft in particular has a unique opportunity with this new generation, and has already made great strides in reinventing the Xbox brand. This generation is going to be all about pushing Game Pass, "the best value in gaming." Especially considering there could be an entire other console that hasn't been announced, there's still a lot we don't know heading into November.
With only a few more opportunities in the year before launch, Microsoft needs to have at least one more deep dive for the Xbox Series X. Compared to PS5, there's actually quite a lot of information publicly known about the Xbox Series X. That being said, there are some key areas that Microsoft's been hinting at changing for a while like Xbox Live, with no further comment since. Not to mention both consoles have not mentioned pricing information. Microsoft would do well to drop just a little bit more information in the lead up to November.
The Plans for Xbox Live and Game Pass
One thing that's been hinted at several times by Microsoft is the potential changes coming to Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold. While Microsoft has gone as far as confirming Xbox Live Gold won't be changing from its paid subscription model, there have been several rumors/leaks that the service will undergo an overhaul for Xbox Series X. The prevailing theory is that Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass will be merged permanently as one unified subscription.
This is already the case with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, but the standalone subscription rates may be eschewed for just the monthly subscription instead. Microsoft has already confirmed that the one year subscription has been removed from Microsoft stores, though the company did not provide an exact reason as to why. There's also been some smaller tidbits like removing Xbox Live clauses and references from Microsoft's Service Agreement. Considering the company's been open about confirming these changes, without providing reasoning, Microsoft needs to confirm what's happening to Xbox Live soon. All of these changes are likely a good thing, but for now it's a mystery.
Unveiling the Xbox Series S
Moving on to the next elephant in the room, there's been a lot of evidence pointing to an Xbox Series S. Microsoft and Xbox have been particularly tight-lipped on this, despite all the leaked evidence out there. There's supposedly a lower-tier/budget Xbox going to be shipped alongside or shortly after the release of Xbox Series X. With a lot of leaked information like Xbox Series S technical specifications and mentions of the system on an official next-gen Xbox controller, this console practically almost confirmed.
The proposition of a budget value next-gen console has never really been done before, at least at the get-go. Based on the leaked specs, the system is generally pretty comparable to the Xbox Series X, with the only downgrade being graphical fidelity. This console will almost certainly be revealed soon, especially considering just how many leaks of the Xbox Series S are out there.
Xbox Series X/S Next-Gen Price
And of course, more than anything, both Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will definitely need a price announcement soon. Sony and Microsoft have to be running out of time to get pricing information to retailers in order to start setting up pre-orders, so this game of price chicken will inevitably end. November is only two months away, which is the confirmed release month for Xbox Series X. Fans and gaming enthusiast are eager to see what release pricing will be to see if it's worth justifying the price at launch. With only a few months left, consumers have much less of a heads up compared to previous generations.
These are just the big ticket announcements that need to be made for Xbox. That's not even counting any of the little details fans may not think of right away, like if Game Pass' price increases with any subscription changes. Microsoft supposedly had a planned event for August, but like most things this year, the pandemic likely enforced delays. Either way, there's still plenty of information needed before Xbox fans make their purchase this Fall, and consumers need an event sooner rather than later.
The Xbox Series X launches in November, 2020.