E3 2019 served as the stage for Microsoft’s official confirmation and reveal of its next-generation Xbox, Project Scarlett. There were various rumors running rampant including one that there were multiple versions of the next Xbox in development but, in an interview with Business Insider, Xbox lead Phil Spencer confirmed that only one is being created for the time being.
GamesRadar reported on the interview, highlighting a moment where Spencer responded to a question about an old statement that mentioned multiple systems.
“Last year we said consoles, and we’ve shipped a console and we’ve now detailed another console. I think that’s plural,” Spencer said. He also stressed that “we’re focused on Project Scarlett and what we put on stage.”
The physical Project Scarlett console hasn’t been shown yet but it will likely be revealed whenever we learn the official name for it. Right now, we know that it will be powered by a custom AMD processor based on Ryzen 2, a GPU based on AMD’s Navi, and GDDR6 RAM. The final details will be revealed as we get closer to its release and, as is typical with home gaming consoles, the new Xbox will likely get a refreshed model a few years into its lifecycle. We’ve received four different versions of the Xbox One and it wouldn’t be surprising to see a similar amount before the next-gen starts to close out.
While Spencer did confirm there’s only one console being made, Xbox is planning to deliver content to gamers across three platforms. In addition to Project Scarlett, Xbox gaming will be delivered into homes and on the go via the new Xbox Game Pass for PC and the newly announced cloud gaming platform Project Xcloud. Game Pass is a known quantity but Xcloud is going to be the most intriguing new format from Microsoft.
It’s well known that Microsoft wants Xbox to be on as many platforms as possible and, with the company playing nice with both Nintendo and Sony these days, the sky’s the limit on what type of collaborative efforts we’ll see throughout the next generation of video gaming. Google Stadia has ignited a series of changes, creations, and collaborations.
