Microsoft’s current-gen beasts, the Xbox Series X and S, are approaching a big anniversary. This November will mark five years since both glorious gaming blocks have provided us with late nights spent playing the latest Game Pass game drops and hours upon hours of entertainment. With the average lifespan of any modern game console between 7-8 years, it’s more than likely that the next wave of Xbox hardware is also right around the corner. but Microsoft’s ongoing multi-platform kick makes me less excited for the next era of Xbox hardware than ever.
Almost five years later, both consoles are still going strong, and 2024 even saw the release of refreshed models, which introduced new colorways and some well-needed storage upgrades to the current-gen consoles. But just as the Xbox One was only out for seven years before the X/S became the next best thing, the X/S will soon be paving the way for something new. And during a time when previously exclusive Microsoft games and Game Pass can be found elsewhere, that something new will already be starting off with a huge disadvantage.
Microsoft has been steadily releasing its previously exclusive games on other platforms for a while now. As of typing, I’ve even been enjoying the fruits of their multi-platform labor, playing Rare’s Sea of Thieves on my PS5 every single night after work. A game which, until April 30, 2024, was only playable on an Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S or on the PC through the Xbox app and PC Game Pass. Rare’s pirate adventure isn’t the only game part of Microsoft’s multi-platform trend, but Grounded, Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, among others, have all made their way to their rival consoles.
