Xbox won't kick off the Series X generation with next-gen exclusives

Xbox is due to kick off the next console generation this winter, but Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty says that launch won’t immediately render the current gen Xbox One obsolete.

Speaking to MCV, Booty offered a light explanation of Xbox’s first-party games plan during the generational transition and, in short, said those first few years will be filled with cross-generation launches.

“As our content comes out over the next year, two years, all of our games, sort of like PC, will play up and down that family of devices,” Booty tells MCV. “We want to make sure that if someone invests in Xbox between now and [Series X] that they feel that they made a good investment and that we’re committed to them with content.”

Currently announced Xbox Series X projects already reflect that plan; Halo Infinite, for instance, is set to launch alongside Series X in holiday 2020, but will also arrive on Xbox One (and PC) at the same time. Presumably, as Booty says next gen exclusives won’t be in the cards for a few years still, this could mean fellow launch title (and "Xbox and PC" exclusive) Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga will see a similar launch.

Despite weaving cross-generational plans into the Series X launch window, Booty notes that games like Halo Infinite will still offer enhancements for those that play the game on the latest tech.

“It’s the first time in over 15 years that we’ll have a Halo title launching in sync with a new console,” he tells MCV. “And that team is definitely going to be doing things to take advantage of [Series X].”