Microsoft Gaming VP denies Xbox Series X games are held back by Xbox One

Microsoft VP of Gaming Phil Spencer has rejected the notion that the Xbox Series X games are being held back due to compatibility with the older Xbox One.

In an interview to Gamesindustry, Spencer pointed out the success of PC gaming where games are optimised for a variety of configurations including high-end and low-end ones. He, however, did not shun the idea of developers of referring to a set of hardware for their latest games.

Spencer’s comments essentially mean that developers can continue to build new games with support for the latest hardware but do not need to abandon a large set of the loyal userbase.

"Our device is not the centre of our strategy, our game is not the centre of the strategy. We want to enable you to play the games you want to play, with the friends you want to play with, on any device. On TV, the Xbox console is going to be the best way to play console games. Xbox Series X is the most powerful console out there and it will have absolutely the best versions of our console games. But that's not to exclude other people from being able to play,” he said in the interview.

On the experience with Xbox Series X, Spencer promised a different gaming experience on the new console.

Microsoft’s Xbox Series X is scheduled to launch on July 23. Ahead of the official launch, some exclusive games such as Halo Infinite have already been confirmed.

The company will also feature an “Optimised for Xbox Series X” badge this year for the new and existing titles. The badge, as the name suggests, will indicate the game will work seamlessly on the new console.