As we prepare to say our farewells to the Xbox One, it’s worth taking a look back at its legacy. Sure, the console had a rocky start. Yes, it got absolutely smoked by the PlayStation 4 (and likely the Nintendo Switch) in sales. But while it broke some promises, it made a lot of new ones that’ll carry forward into the next generation. The future looks bright for Xbox, and the Xbox One has a lot to do with that.
Here’s what we loved about the Xbox One.
1. You brought us Xbox Game Pass
If the Xbox One is remembered for anything, it should be the console served as the first home of Xbox Game Pass. This service — arguably the best deal in video games today — is unrivaled in terms of the value it delivers. Its ever-evolving library offers tons of variety. The fact you can get Xbox Game Studios titles on the day of release at no extra charge is superb. Xbox One may not have killed it in the exclusives department, but I’d argue Xbox Game Pass almost made up for it.
2. You made backward compatibility a huge Xbox selling point
Early on in the generation, it sure seemed like both Microsoft and Sony were pulling plays out of the same playbook. Both had left a previous-gen console behind with no intention of providing native backward compatibility. Both seemed okay with that.
The hardships the Xbox One faced, however, forced Microsoft to pull some rabbits out of its hat. The company’s immensely talented engineers started first by getting Xbox 360 titles — built for a PowerPC architecture — running on the x86 Xbox One. They then went further by including a select number of games from the original Xbox.
Backward compatibility is now here to stay. Both the Xbox Series X and S will be able to play Xbox One games. They’ll also support titles from both the Xbox 360 and Xbox. Microsoft’s newest-gen machines, all in all, will cover games from four console generations. This may have never happened had things gone differently with the Xbox One.
3. You rarely said no
Ubisoft wants to put a man in a pig mask on all of its game covers? Sure, why not. EA wants a subscription service on our platform? Let them go for it. Amazon wants to integrate and add Xbox voice commands? Unleash the APIs.
One thing the Xbox One played home to — and Microsoft should get some credit for — is just how willing the company was to play ball on a lot of weird ideas. Like so many things, Microsoft was likely forced in this direction by everything that went wrong with the Xbox One in its first few years. If the company can keep that attitude in place, the Xbox Series generation could be very exciting to watch.
4. You made the HDMI-in port a feature I’ll miss
If there’s one area the Xbox Series consoles took a step back in, it’s the omission of the HDMI-in port. Who in the world thought this would even make a list like this? I certainly didn’t think I’d be making this argument. But the HDMI-in port was one of Microsoft’s wiser moves, and it’s a shame it won’t make a return in the Series X or Series S.
Sure, cable TV may be on the outs, based on the number of over-the-top streaming services that exist. But do you know what the Xbox One’s HDMI-in port did that was so helpful? It let you plug those streaming boxes and sticks in without taking up another HDMI port on your TV. More than that, it let you enjoy entertainment on those devices while still getting alerts from Xbox Live.
Perhaps I am alone on this island, and no one will agree. But I wish the HDMI-in port had stuck around. It would’ve made moving to the Xbox Series X or S even more seamless.
5. You allowed Phil Spencer to take the helm
So much of everything Microsoft’s done right in the past few years can be traced back to one fateful day: the day Don Mattrick got the boot (and went on to subsequently ruin Zynga), and Phil Spencer got called up to the majors. Since then, Xbox has suffered a few setbacks, but has largely become one of the more pro-consumer brands in the gaming space.
Think about all that’s happened under Spencer’s leadership. Microsoft rolled out the Xbox One S and the Xbox One X. Microsoft introduced Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft made backward compatibility a major focus going back to the original Xbox One. Microsoft acquired a horde of development studios, with more on the way once the Bethesda purchase becomes final.
Phil got his start as Head of Xbox trying to right the Xbox One ship. When you think back to the Xbox One — and think of all the good things that came out of this generation — it’ll be tough not to associate Phil Spencer with a lot of them.
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