Original Xbox Designer Believes New Consoles Should Stop Competing on Performance
Recently, Seamus Blackley, known as the designer of the original Xbox, stated that high performance is no longer the main selling point for consoles in the competitive market.
He reflected on the original Xbox, released in 2001, saying that back then, the company aimed to make the most powerful console available, as graphics in games were rapidly advancing at the time.
We were a Western company and we were saying 'Okay, we’re going to lose money on these to make them super powerful' and take a bet on the games being awesome.
Back then, high performance helped Xbox stand out among Japanese competitors. For instance, it was the only console with a built-in hard drive, capable of running games like Halo: Combat Evolved, The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind, and Fable.
Now, Seamus Blackley believes that games have almost reached their peak in terms of graphics, and it's becoming harder to impress players with stunning visuals. Therefore, if he were to design a console today, he would take a different approach. He cites the Nintendo Switch as an example, which stands out with its portability and exclusive games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, offering a wealth of content.
In January, Nintendo announced the Switch 2 console.