Before the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 launched in 2013, there was some speculation about whether or not there would be another console generation in the traditional sense. With everything going digital, would Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo still feel the need to launch a physical box every 5-10 years?
The answer was a resounding yes, as the PS4 and Xbox One have combined to sell well over 100 million units, and the Switch has already surpassed the lifetime sales of the Nintendo 64. Furthermore, both Sony and Microsoft have already confirmed that they will launch new home consoles in the near future. Microsoft even announced a holiday 2020 release window for Project Scarlett at E3… but the question lingers. Is this the end of consoles?
Giant Bomb’s Jeff Gerstmann had a chance to ask Xbox head Phil Spencer exactly that question during an interview at E3 this week, and although Spencer admitted that he couldn’t predict the future, he did provide a telling answer: “I’ll say what we’re planning for. We’re not planning for Scarlett to be our last console.”
Whether or not there will be more home consoles in 2025 and beyond remains to be seen, but unless the landscape changes significantly in the coming years (which it very well might with Google’s Stadia entering the field), there will be another Xbox console on store shelves after Project Scarlett comes and goes.
Spencer revealed a few other tidbits during the discussion as well. For example, the team is still so early in the development process of the new console (relative to where it was when the Xbox One was announced) that there isn’t even a list of final names yet, much less one that has been unanimously chosen. And as for pricing, Microsoft does have a window that it’s aiming for, but once again, nothing has been finalized.
If you have any interest at all in the Xbox ecosystem, the future of gaming consoles, or the industry in general, I highly recommend watching the interview all the way through when you have 50 minutes to spare.
