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As MS doesn't believe in generations, how long will Series S be supported?

vaibhavpisal

vaibhavpisal

Member
I am intrigued by Series S. Its an exciting piece of kit and am strongly considering getting it over PS5 as I won't need to upgrade my display along with it (1080p).

I have skipped xbox one generation and would like to catch up with games of the past as well as future. Its really a very compelling option for me.

With that said, now I would like to discuss the caveats. MS has announced that it won't offer enhancements to last gen games like one x. Does that mean it will play them at one s settings (sub 1080p and medium-ish graphics preset)?

Also how long will it be supported by 3rd party ? Can MS force them to support it cause it belongs to same generation as series x ? But MS itself has said it doesn't believes in generations so on what basis it is lumping them together?

Its a foregone conclusion that we will get series xx (big bro to series x), with more teraflops and ram. What then? Will series s still be supported?

Will its fate depend on install base? If sales are not enough, will 3rd party still develop for it?

My expectations is these boxes are pretty much pc and will play whatever game you load onto hard drive as best it can, including last gen games. Even games 10 years later, it will play albeit at 10 fps or so. So it will play but you won't be able to and will have to upgrade. If that is the case then only it is compelling option.

What do you think GAF? Iam speculating here but maybe someone has facts?
 
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If MS does a mid gen refresh again in 3-4 years, say adios to S. X will be the low end, X will have a digital version by then (probably sooner than we think) and X2 will be 20tf or whatever in 2023-24.
 
Probably see new hardware in 3 years, so I'd say 3 years is when we start seeing lackluster S support. I don't think they'll formally drop support as much as they'll just stop caring About performance like they did on the launch Xbox One.
 
If it can't even outperform last gen's One X, I don't know how they'll support it an entire gen.
 
MrFunSocks said:
More thinly veiled Xbox concern trolling, yay! Just what this site needed!

The Series S will be supported as long as the Series X is.
Click to expand...

Did you read the op?

Also how long will both be supported? MS has said any future games will be playable on any future xbox. Is there a time frame to it?
 
If there are no more generations then it will always be supported. Period. I fully expect the Series S to be the last console anyone needs to buy.
 
Until the Xbox 7 comes out. Btw, that's next gen. Now that Xbox came out with X1X and Series S, Series X is Xbox 6 so now they can finally have the edge on Sony and name it Xbox 7 while Sony stays losing with the PS6.
 
They'll frankly get eaten alive if they don't support it for the duration of this console generation. They just made a promise, next-gen Xbox gaming at 1440p (doubt, but that's for another time) for less. Reneging on that would be a disaster.

The only scenario I can see this happening in, is if the S sold so poorly, Microsoft just cut its losses and focused on the X.
 
Tranquil said:
If there are no more generations then it will always be supported. Period. I fully expect the Series S to be the last console anyone needs to buy.
Click to expand...

Yes. I expect the same within reason of course.

My question is how will be third party support? And how will ms make them to support it? What if they drop support with in 2 years on account of low sales or too much work etc?

Are these boxes exactly like pc? That would give me confidence to make investment.
 
vaibhavpisal said:
Did you read the op?

Also how long will both be supported? MS has said any future games will be playable on any future xbox. Is there a time frame to it?
Click to expand...
It sounds like you are describing backward compatibility. Every future Xbox can play games from many different previous generations.

vaibhavpisal said:
So they do believe in generations contrary to what they say?
Click to expand...
The not believing in generations never meant they wouldn't be releasing updated hardware. The Xbox, 360, X1, and XS all show multiple generations of consoles. The newer ones will allow you to keep playing your old games so the generational lines are blurred from a software perspective.

Tranquil said:
If there are no more generations then it will always be supported. Period. I fully expect the Series S to be the last console anyone needs to buy.
Click to expand...
MS never said this so I don't know what you are talking about.
 
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well 7 years for the generation and then another 2 for cross gen.

So gonna be dragging that shit along for nearly a decade most likely.
 
Series S will be supported the entire gen, that's their commitment. Series S will play One games like the One S, more or less. It is fine for a 1080p experience.
 
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DarkMage619 said:
The not believing in generations never meant they wouldn't be releasing updated hardware. The Xbox, 360, X1, and XS all show multiple generations of consoles. The newer ones will allow you to keep playing your old games so the generational lines are blurred from a software perspective.
Click to expand...

Backwards compatibility is nothing new. You mean nothing has changed.

I am under the impression they are following iphone/android model now. All your years old models work with reduced performance.

Is this incorrect?
 
I'd be more worried about the Series X than the series S. They are still supporting the One S, the One X is dead.
 
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vaibhavpisal said:
Backwards compatibility is nothing new. You mean nothing has changed.

I am under the impression they are following iphone/android model now. All your years old models work with reduced performance.

Is this incorrect?
Click to expand...

Just like iphone and android, they won't be supported forever.
 
-Arcadia- said:
They'll frankly get eaten alive if they don't support it for the duration of this console generation. They just made a promise, next-gen Xbox gaming at 1440p (doubt, but that's for another time) for less. Reneging on that would be a disaster.

The only scenario I can see this happening in, is if the S sold so poorly, Microsoft just cut its losses and focused on the X.
Click to expand...

I have no doubt it will be well supported by MS. Even if it sold poorly I expect first party titles will be available at least.

Third party on the other hand ...

With current gen, base consoles are guaranteed a version. Dev's can't skip it for enhanced consoles. I think it's made clear before development starts by first party.

What is situation with next gen? I think we will start seeing next boxes from MS 2-3 yrs down the line, cause no generations. Will series s be supported beyond that on contractual level?


Three said:
I'd be more worried about the Series X than the series S. They are still supporting the One S, the One X is dead.
Click to expand...

This gen there is no complication. One x is fully supported. Your games that are developed for "one" generation are guaranteed to work. Its just not being sold new.


With next gen, there will be no point where next to next gen starts. So there is no guarantee till when ms wants to support it.
 
As long as MS would like to tell us that it's "a huge success". However since they don't like to give us actual hardware sales that can be anyone's guess.
 
baphomet said:
well 7 years for the generation and then another 2 for cross gen.

So gonna be dragging that shit along for nearly a decade most likely.
Click to expand...

And Xb1x was a couple of years then hung out to dry, so anywhere from 2 to 10 years, depending on the narrative of the day.
 
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sublimit said:
As long as MS would like to tell us that it's "a huge success". However since they don't like to give us actual hardware sales that can be anyone's guess.
Click to expand...
I don't care about hardware sales when I am in front of my TV enjoying a game.
 
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vaibhavpisal said:
My question is how will be third party support? And how will ms make them to support it? What if they drop support with in 2 years on account of low sales or too much work etc?
Click to expand...

Third party support should be as ubiquitous as it is now for the Xbox One, Xbox One S and Xbox One X. No game is only available on just one of them.

MS will require Series S optimized versions to pass certification. No S version, no X certification then.

The whole console and development environment has been designed to make it very little work for ports to Series S from Series X. And sales are unlikely to be low with that $299 or pay monthly price tag. It should fly off the shelves.
 
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cireza said:
I don't care about hardware sales when I am in front of my TV enjoying a game.
Click to expand...
Same for me. I loved both my WiiU and my Vita and i couldn't care any less about their hardware sales.

However a company withholding information in order to spin their PR as they like makes it impossible to have any objective discussion on topics such as this one.
 
vaibhavpisal said:
So they do believe in generations contrary to what they say?
Click to expand...
Well we already know there will be no further games released for the One and One X eventually. I think the PR point about there being no generations is more a claim about the current generation not ending when the new one begins, so there isn't a super hard line. It is kind of like on Windows where you can keep going until eventually your OS goes out of support or the latest DirectX API isn't released for it.

Edit: sorry looks like I misread the posts you were responding to.
 
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ReBurn said:
Probably see new hardware in 3 years, so I'd say 3 years is when we start seeing lackluster S support. I don't think they'll formally drop support as much as they'll just stop caring About performance like they did on the launch Xbox One.
Click to expand...

no way they will drop the most machines they will sell in 3 years. If MS does that is over on consoles world
 
It will be on sale for 2 years, until the XSX reaches the XSS price point and the XSX-X is released.

As for running games on it? I reckon, 18 months max. After this point, the XSS will only be able to 'stream' the higher end games and playing it physically/digitally won't be an option.
 
the OG xbox one is still supported....you get all console updates and whatever xbox one game is released despite being off the market for quite a while...I dont think you need to worry about microsoft not supporting the next gen console for at least throughout that generation.
 
The original XB1 is horribly outdated and yet I don't see any developers dropping support for it. They'll keep supporting the XSS throughout the whole generation, even if it means dropping resolution to 720p or whatever.
 
It's Xbox, so when the next Xbox comes out they'll probably discontinue the Series X while still going full force ahead with the S. That's what they did with the One S and One X.
 
It will be supported for the entire generation. However, the performance gap will increase over time, due to devs getting more power out of the X later in the gen.
 
Just look at the history of gaming consoles for your answer. Dreamcast, WiiU, Vita. They were all great systems with good game libraries that were dumped because of poor sales.

Generations don't need to exist and shouldn't exist, having a locked-in upgrade cycle is both limiting and forces you to move on even if your current device is seeing support. Nintendo has ejected itself successfully from the standard generation and will release when it decides it's time to move on. Microsoft can support their devices until the user base decides to move on, that may be before another official "gen" or it could be well after Sony reveals a PS6 if the customer base is still supporting the device. Even now gens are clouded with the "Pro" versions of consoles releasing mid-cycle.

Why would it be different than any other consumer product in this regard? If a new for of media is released and is not adopted regardless of how good it might be, it is abandoned. If a new car is released and nobody buys it, it gets dropped. If the PS5 tanks for some reason, would Sony continue to support it and produce it at a loss? Look at the Vita for your answer. Nintendo was actually making money on the 13 million WiiUs it sold with their software sales, but even they pulled the plug on it early because it was bad optics for the company and it wasn't bringing in the kind of revenue they needed to keep shareholders happy.

If the XSS sells well and gathers a large install base that buys games for it, it will likely continue to be supported. If it ends up costing money to keep supporting and doesn't have a following Microsoft will move on. The XSS is like the grocery section in a Wal-Mart. Just like Wal-Mart sells you a bottle of Coke or a pack of hotdogs at a loss, while you're there maybe you'll buy something marked up 60% and sign up for their shitty credit card. The XSS brings people in with a low price of entry. While you're there maybe you buy some games and sign up for their services.

If the XSS is a dismal failure it will be abandoned. If it succeeds, it will eventually be abandoned when the install base moves on or starts demanding a replacement for it. No reasonable person expects the XSS or even the XSX to still have support in a decade when there are self-aware fusion-powered 60 series Nvidia cards running games at 8K/600fps selling for $299.
 
vkbest said:
no way they will drop the most machines they will sell in 3 years. If MS does that is over on consoles world
Click to expand...
If Microsoft releases another $300 box in 3 years that is more powerful than the series S people will upgrade. I know I would.
 
Quote me on this in a few years, the whole "no generations" thing isn't going to last. There will come a point where they'll want a clean break from supporting Jaguar cores and mechanical rust drives. The S and X are of a generation, and the S will probably be supported just as long, being the same CPU and SSD speed, just like the One S, X, and One, are all dying at the same time.
 
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were talking about one SKU of a generation, not the only system for that generation..they can't just drop support for a version of the Xbox Series.
 
is this kind of like apple releasing iphones as oppose to android? I am still using Iphone 6s, and it still works fine, for the time it was released, it was well ahead of other android phones and previous iphones. I am still going to get iOS14 which is great, and the cost of iphone 6s is $150-$200 for 128gb.

i think ms is doing all that they can do to get you into their ecosystem (windows), and xbox is a part of it. i think xbox series s will sell well, and better than expected.
 
Guaranteed both the Xbox Series S and X will be replaced by new models within 3 years (by 2023). These are not meant to be "next gen" boxes that last 5-7 years as is tradition. They are using the PC model of just updating hardware periodically to play games within the same ecosystem. That's there strategy (as long as Phil is in control at least).

Need proof....how long did the Xbox One X ("world's most powerful console") last? :pie_thinking:
 
Kazekage1981 said:
is this kind of like apple releasing iphones as oppose to android? I am still using Iphone 6s, and it still works fine, for the time it was released, it was well ahead of other android phones and previous iphones. I am still going to get iOS14 which is great, and the cost of iphone 6s is $150-$200 for 128gb.

i think ms is doing all that they can do to get you into their ecosystem (windows), and xbox is a part of it. i think xbox series s will sell well, and better than expected.
Click to expand...

no its not like that....its more like samsung dropping support of the galaxy note 10 and only supporting note 10+
 
Tqaulity said:
Guaranteed both the Xbox Series S and X will be replaced by new models within 3 years (by 2023). These are not meant to be "next gen" boxes that last 5-7 years as is tradition. They are using the PC model of just updating hardware periodically to play games within the same ecosystem. That's there strategy (as long as Phil is in control at least).

Need proof....how long did the Xbox One X ("world's most powerful console") last? :pie_thinking:
Click to expand...

The One X launched midway into a generation, not at the start of one.
 
Tqaulity said:
Guaranteed both the Xbox Series S and X will be replaced by new models within 3 years (by 2023). These are not meant to be "next gen" boxes that last 5-7 years as is tradition. They are using the PC model of just updating hardware periodically to play games within the same ecosystem. That's there strategy (as long as Phil is in control at least).

Need proof....how long did the Xbox One X ("world's most powerful console") last? :pie_thinking:
Click to expand...
It was the most powerful console for a time.
 
concerntrolls.jpg
 
vaibhavpisal said:
I am intrigued by Series S. Its an exciting piece of kit and am strongly considering getting it over PS5 as I won't need to upgrade my display along with it (1080p).

I have skipped xbox one generation and would like to catch up with games of the past as well as future. Its really a very compelling option for me.

With that said, now I would like to discuss the caveats. MS has announced that it won't offer enhancements to last gen games like one x. Does that mean it will play them at one s settings (sub 1080p and medium-ish graphics preset)?

Also how long will it be supported by 3rd party ? Can MS force them to support it cause it belongs to same generation as series x ? But MS itself has said it doesn't believes in generations so on what basis it is lumping them together?

Its a foregone conclusion that we will get series xx (big bro to series x), with more teraflops and ram. What then? Will series s still be supported?

Will its fate depend on install base? If sales are not enough, will 3rd party still develop for it?

My expectations is these boxes are pretty much pc and will play whatever game you load onto hard drive as best it can, including last gen games. Even games 10 years later, it will play albeit at 10 fps or so. So it will play but you won't be able to and will have to upgrade. If that is the case then only it is compelling option.

What do you think GAF? Iam speculating here but maybe someone has facts?
Click to expand...

You wouldn't need to upgrade your display to support PS5. It outputs in 1080p just fine. In fact depending on the game, you'll get better graphics in 1080p.
 
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I mean - Microsoft still supports the original Xbox 360 hardware. That was released 15 years ago. You can still buy games for it, still connect to Xbox Live, etc.

I guess it depends on what you mean by "support". Do you mean "make new games for" because I'd be fairly confident that games released at the end of next gen will still run on the Series S. Though, probably about as well (comparatively) as something like RDR2 runs on the original Xbox One model.
 
H-I-M said:
If it can't even outperform last gen's One X, I don't know how they'll support it an entire gen.
Click to expand...
What?! It can and does. One X could never run Gears 5 at 120fps.

RDNA2, VRS, Mesh shading, Velocity architecture SSD, much faster CPU.

It may target lower resolutions in general, but besides that...
 
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