PSA/FYI Microsoft and their history of retiring consoles

[Deleted member 417]

Xbox 360 release and retirement schedule

Xbox One release and retirement schedule

This is just to help with the conversation in regards to Series S and Series X's possible retirement and/or replacement.

 

[Zzero]

They've already nearly exceeded the longest 360 releases with no replacements in sight. Neat.

 

[Deleted member 417]

They've already nearly exceeded the longest 360 releases with no replacements in sight. Neat.

Each generation is not a 1-1 comparison. Changes to hardware, software development and covid have had their own unique effect on the industry.

 

[Zzero]

Each generation is not a 1-1 comparison. Changes to hardware, software development and covid have had their own unique effect on the industry.

Yeah, I know they do. For use in console history debates I have started mentally condensing 2020 and 2021 into a single year. Even though more people than ever gamed during them the companies were really only going at half power during them due to COVID.

 

[peter42O]

Unless it's a slim model to reduce costs, I don't see Microsoft releasing any other models. In Fall 2024, they should simply decrease the prices of the consoles to $400/$200 for the rest of the generation and that's it. Thankfully, there doesn't appear to be any "pro' models in sight which im very happy about.

 

[Deleted member 417]

Unless it's a slim model to reduce costs, I don't see Microsoft releasing any other models.

That flies in the face of everything they've done for the past (or passed? @KiryuRealty ) 15 years. Are you basing your post on an assumption or personal wish?

 

[peter42O]

That flies in the face of everything they've done for the past (or passed? @KiryuRealty ) 15 years. Are you basing your post on an assumption or personal wish?

The original Xbox had one model with different disc drives based on the manufacturer. Xbox 360 had slim models. Xbox One had the slim model and X only because Sony had a Pro model so Microsoft had to match it. This generation, I don't see either side doing any "pro" models at all because they're only now 2+ years after launch starting to get back to having them in stores and whatnot on a consistent basis and thus, would make no sense to have to manufacture a "pro" model especially when PS4 Pro barely hit 10m and X was much less. There's literally no point in either company doing them. A slim model is pretty much guaranteed if they can reduce costs as I said. Anything else, nah. By the time they do that, they'll already be getting ready for next generation hardware so why even bother in the first place. If Covid never happened, then maybe there would have been pro models but now, I just don't see it because there's no benefit to having them for anyone.

 

[KnittedKnight]

Interesting. Thanks OP.

More or less 10 vs 6 yrs. Effectively 8 vs. 5.

 

[Deleted member 417]

The original Xbox had one model with different disc drives based on the manufacturer. Xbox 360 had slim models.

Read the OP. The xbox 360 had several different versions, from no HDD to 1tb HDDs. From YRG output only to HDMI output. The last 360 revision removed the fibre optic port.

Xbox One had the slim model and X

Again, read the op. The Xbox one had digital only versions, some bundled with Kinect and the X which was for all intents and purposes a new console. I know because I bought an Xbox 1 X and it was entirely different to the Xbox One, including form factor.

only because Sony had a Pro model so Microsoft had to match it.

Sony launched the pro model to reduce the costs of the breakout box with the PSVR. A ps4 pro is 2 PS4's glued together. The 1x is a console redesign.

This generation, I don't see either side doing any "pro" models at all because they're only now 2+ years after launch starting to get back to having them in stores and whatnot on a consistent basis and thus, would make no sense to have to manufacture a "pro" model especially when PS4 Pro barely hit 10m and X was much less. There's literally no point in either company doing them. A slim model is pretty much guaranteed if they can reduce costs as I said. Anything else, nah. By the time they do that, they'll already be getting ready for next generation hardware so why even bother in the first place. If Covid never happened, then maybe there would have been pro models but now, I just don't see it because there's no benefit to having them for anyone.

This is based on nothing. There is every possibility this generation that Sony launch a Pro model, especially if they can manufacture it in the same way they did the PS4.

The series S will be retired and discontinued and the Series X has to be redesigned and/or a pro console launched. The console doesn't work as advertised and so bottlenecked that it can't even keep parity with a cheaper, less powerful machine.

 

[ksdixon]

Xbox 360 release and retirement schedule

Xbox One release and retirement schedule

This is just to help with the conversation in regards to Series S and Series X's possible retirement and/or replacement.

Wtf is all that? I mean c'mon!

And SEGA gets raked over the coals for too many consoles? At least there's were trying to embrace new technologies.

 

[Alabtrosmyster]

Wtf is all that? I mean c'mon!

And SEGA gets raked over the coals for too many consoles? At least there's were trying to embrace new technologies.

Sega's consoles were not compatible with one another. Nobody complains about the Genesis 2 & 3, or the small version of the SMS.

The 32x and Sega Saturn are not like consoles with more I\O, pro or slim consoles, they require new software, and the 32x is unreliable af.

 

[Bodycount611]

it begins, new Potato S firesale. Half off for verizon customers in the U.S. $149.99



I'd bite at $75 with a free game or a free year of WelfarePass.

Around ~2005, I could have got a pallet full of Dreamcasts on Ebay for $25 each, brand new sealed units at that. passed it up.

Doubt Series S will be worth anything, But the Series X might be for a B/C machine. I'd do maybe $99-$129 on the Series X, not a penny more.

 

[Deleted member 417]

Sounds like they're starting to empty the channels ready for a revision or cancellation

 

[Swift_Star]

They ain’t retiring their consoles.

 

[Deleted member 417]

They ain’t retiring their consoles.

According to the Microsoft wiki, they often do.

Don't confuse retiring with leaving the console market.

Would a redesigned S surprise anyone? Would a disclosure X be a shock? According to Microsofts own history, both of those are inevitable

 

[Yurinka]

I see the OP misses the original Xbox console:

According to wikipedia it was released in NA late 2001 and in the rest of the world early 2002. It was discontinued in 2005 for Japan and 2006 for the rest of the world.

 

[Deleted member 417]

I see the OP misses the original Xbox console:

According to wikipedia it was released in NA late 2001 and in the rest of the world early 2002. It was discontinued in 2005 for Japan and 2006 for the rest of the world.

I didn't miss the OG xbox. I felt it was unfair to add it as a dispute between Nvidia, Intel and Microsoft meant the OG xbox had to be retired early.

It's partly the reason they launched a year before Sony; it was necessity not design

 

[Yurinka]

I didn't miss the OG xbox. I felt it was unfair to add it as a dispute between Nvidia, Intel and Microsoft meant the OG xbox had to be retired early.

It's partly the reason they launched a year before Sony; it was necessity not design

The OG XB was retired soon after they released its successor, as happened with the other Xbox consoles and is also pretty common in Nintendo.

A supposed dispute or issue with the hardware manufacturers would delay designing and releasing a successor, not to release it faster.

As an example, PS3 was supposed to have a global launch but its release was delayed half a year in the PAL regions compared to NA and Jap due to the lack of certain BlueRay drive materials shortages.

 

[Deleted member 417]

The OG XB was retired soon after they released its successor, as happened with the other Xbox consoles and is also pretty common in Nintendo.

A supposed dispute or issue with the hardware manufacturers would delay designing and releasing a successor, not to release it faster.

As an example, PS3 was supposed to have a global launch but its release was delayed half a year in the PAL regions compared to NA and Jap due to the lack of certain BlueRay drive materials shortages.

The dispute was about the OG xbox, it had intel and Nvidia insides and they wouldn't offer microsoft a better price or allow them to change the insides or something to do with the manufacturing.

So Microsoft set to work with AMD to design the 360. IIRC they released games around launch window of 360 then pulled the plug.

I'm not sure what your posts are aiming for though? Your posts seem defensive, though I can't work out what you would be defending?

 

[Zzero]

The dispute was about the OG xbox, it had intel and Nvidia insides and they wouldn't offer microsoft a better price or allow them to change the insides or something to do with the manufacturing.

So Microsoft set to work with AMD to design the 360. IIRC they released games around launch window of 360 then pulled the plug.

I'm not sure what your posts are aiming for though? Your posts seem defensive, though I can't work out what you would be defending?

The story I always heard was that they rushed 360 just to be first, not due to some sort of components dispute on the OG Xbox- which they wanted to get away from since it was a money loser. Even if they had been able to redesign its internals late in life they still wouldn't have wanted to keep it around. Everyone except Sony wanted to get out of that gen as soon as humanly possible.