Xbox Series X Cases have been shown off and they don’t look very different from current Xbox One cases. I have been sitting on this one for a few days because I have been working through my thoughts on how I feel about this move. In a way it makes a ton of sense as Microsoft’s approach to the next-generation of gaming is to do away with console generations as a whole. Every game you currently own on Xbox One will move up to the series X seamlessly. they also get the added benefits of performance from the improved hardware and visual upgrades with HDR even if the original versions didn’t support it. Xbox One controllers and accessories will also work on the new hardware and Series X controllers will work on Xbox One. Smart Delivery also ensures that no matter which type of Xbox you own, you will have the right version installed.
And that brings us back to the new case design. The first thing worth noticing is how the top no longer says Xbox One but has been shortened to just Xbox. This is a simple change but one that conveys the shift in Microsoft’s approach. You aren’t buying an Xbox One or Series X game you are buying an Xbox Game that will work on a wide variety of hardware. The supported hardware is detailed just below the Xbox banner with additional features like 4K, HDR, and Smart Delivery noted. The last major difference comes from the Optimized for Series X badge that will take up residence on the front of the box. Because of the similarities in the box design, I am sure the marketing team at Microsoft was worried that people wouldn’t realize that these games were for the new system as well as the old. Understandable, but that is definitely the risk you take with this style of approach. The badge serves as a way to counteract this saying loud and clear “hey, I am here for your shiny new system.”
It works, but it comes at the cost of hiding the artwork featured on the box. I don’t find it super intrusive but it is a blemish I hope will go away in time. For this early launch period, the badge will be used to train buyers about the new design. Hopefully, as we move further into next-gen, about a year or so, we will see the badge start to be removed as the Series X takes over the market share of Xbox consoles on the market. Once games stop coming out that support Xbox One in the first place, the need for the badge seems all the more irrelevant. I do have to say that having a unified case design is going to look nice on a shelf of Xbox games. You don’t have to worry about separating games by platform as Xbox games are now just Xbox games! Whether you like that or not will obviously be a personal decision. For myself, I am liking the approach but hope it gets streamlined as we move through the consoles life-cycle. I would also like to see a design added to the green banner to help liven it up a bit just as with the recently revealed PS5 cases.
What do you think of Microsoft’s decision to keep its current-gen look for next-gen boxes?
