Microsoft Wants to Make Consoles As Mod-able as PC Rigs

Microsoft is known for two things: Making software, and making hardware.

...Yep, that’s gonna top my “most obvious statements of the year” list.

Regardless, the point remains: they’ve got stake in PC gaming, mobile gaming, and console gaming, making them one of the most ubiquitous companies in the business… which gives them a unique place of power compared to the other heavy hitters, Sony and Nintendo. Since Microsoft works with both PCs and console systems, it has a pretty unique perspective on both, and sometimes, that unique perspective comes to a head.

Specifically, with Microsoft’s recent push to make Xbox One an extension of Windows 10, and vice-versa. The idea is to create a “universal windows platform”, but there’s a slight problem with that design: while PCs can be updated to accommodate the growing tech world, consoles don’t have that ability. Well, according to Microsoft’s very own Phil Spencer, in a perfect future, the Xbox One would have that ability--and so much more.

In an interview with Polygon...

"We see on other platforms whether it be mobile or PC that you get a continuous innovation that you rarely see on console. Consoles lock the hardware and the software platforms together at the beginning of the generation. Then you ride the generation out for seven or so years, while other ecosystems are getting better, faster, stronger. And then you wait for the next big step function. I believe we will see more hardware innovation in the console space than we've ever seen. We can effectively feel a little bit more like we see on PC, where I can still go back and run my old Doom and Quake games that I used to play years ago but I can still see the best 4K games come out and my library is always with me. Hardware innovation continues while the software innovation is able to take advantage and I don't have to jump a generation and lose everything that I played on before."

It seems a bit odd that he would feel this way, given that Microsoft has historically been against modifying their hardware as any other console maker on the market today, but the idea of improving your console with small hardware updates instead of being forced to buy a new one every couple of years is certainly appealing… especially when you consider how many PC parts are used in the modern console anyway.

It would certainly make an Xbone all the more appealing.

Still, this is all just hypotheticals at this point, it seems unlikely Microsoft will be taking steps in that direction this console generation. But when the Xbox Two comes out, maybe…?