Have the Xbox One Failed already?

Before I fully start with the article, I must give you an introduction. To understand what is going on with this latest console from Microsoft, you have to understand where they are coming from and which ones have existed before.

The innovative Xbox consoles

The first Xbox console manufactured by Microsoft together with Sega, was launched in 2001, and the exact delivery date varied, depending on the geographical area. For example, while in the USA it was released on November 15, 2001, in Colombia it took 2 more years. 

The Xbox is a home video console and is classified as a sixth-generation console, competing with Sony’s PlayStation 2, Nintendo’s GameCube and Sega’s Sega Dreamcast. It should be noted that it was also the first major console produced by a U.S. company since the launch of the Atari Jaguar in 1993.

With the release of the PlayStation 2, which offered the ability to play CD-ROMs and DVDs in addition to games, Microsoft began to worry that game consoles would threaten the personal computer as a living room entertainment device. While most game consoles up to that point were built from custom hardware components, the Xbox was built from standard personal computer components, using variations of Microsoft Windows and DirectX as the operating system to support gaming and media playback.

The Xbox One

It is the third desktop game console of the Xbox brand, produced by Microsoft. It is part of the eighth-generation game consoles, introduced by Microsoft on May 21, 2013. It is the successor to the Xbox 360 and the predecessor of the Xbox X Series. It currently competes with Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Nintendo’s Wii U. And its release was on November 22, 2013.

Two years ago, in 2020, Microsoft officially announced that it was completely ceasing production of the Xbox One in all its versions, with the exception of the original Xbox One S model. Although that did not mean that the Xbox Live service will end, it will still be present in the console service. As well as the Xbox Game Pass and Games with Gold features, they even mentioned that they will follow the remaining units and sales of the console’s repertoire worldwide until the repertoire is finished.

Xbox One X: the most powerful console in history

After 5 years of launch, it is well known that the Xbox One X console is considered the most powerful desktop console so far, not on a whim. Its technical sheet is a declaration of intent in the field of brute force to achieve the main goal set by Microsoft: native 4K gaming.  

To achieve such performance, Microsoft redesigned the interior of the console and many of the components, in most cases by the hand of AMD and with exclusive designs. The processor is composed of eight modified Jaguar cores working at a clock frequency of 2.3 GHz. 

It should be noted that this desktop console was not considered by Microsoft as a model that opens a generation, so there was no cut in the catalog of games.

However, that does not mean the Xbox One X is not a risk. More so, when Microsoft has said: it is a niche product, and it is impossible to be quite sure whether the enthusiast audience will embrace the console the way Microsoft hopes they will. Keeping in mind that, with a hefty price tag, a confused marketing message, and a narrow appeal, Xbox One X could either be the next big thing in gaming or a complete afterthought. It’s all up to Microsoft and how the company chooses to handle the many obstacles in its path.

The only thing that we can do, is to wish them luck, and the public really enjoy the console for all that it has.