14 DAY TRIAL // Phil Spencer, the leader of the hardware division at Microsoft, is suggesting that his team might be getting ready to reveal an upgrades-focused future for the Xbox One, with the home console receiving incremental upgrades so that it can offer improved performance for customers, as current PCs do.
The executive also says, according to Polygon, that the concept is linked to his company's plans to continue to integrate its various hardware platforms using the Windows 10 operating system, making sure that as many consumers can get access to the video games and the apps that it creates.
Spencer explains that the current model, which asks players to buy a new device and then use it for years without getting improved performance, is not sustainable and might soon be tweaked.
He adds, "You'll actually see us come out with new hardware capability during a generation allowing the same games to run backward and forward compatible because we have a Universal Windows Application running on top of the Universal Windows Platform that allows us to focus more and more on hardware innovation without invalidating the games that run on that platform."
It's unclear whether Phil Spencer is talking about the components featured inside the Xbox One or if he is referring to new technology that can be linked to the home console, like motion tracking or augmented reality.
An actual optional hardware upgrade would create some problems for Microsoft because it would ask developers to support different types of console configurations, which is an issue usually cited to show why home consoles are superior to PCs.
Presumably, the company will introduce more actual detail about its Windows 10 integration and the way the Xbox One can be improved in the coming months, but even the suggestion that an upgradable console is already on the market will force Sony to react with similar plans of its own.
Spencer also says that he wants to bring content like Quantum Break to as many players as possible, adding that the announcement that the title was coming to the PC is part of a larger plan at Microsoft.
Firmware can be used to make a home console more interesting
Microsoft is launching a new version of the software that's running the Xbox One each month, adding new features that the community has been requesting and finding new ways to make the associated PC app more attractive to use.
The company recently also launched the Apex version of Forza Motorsport 6, which is free on the Windows 10 store and allows gamers to get access to some cars and tracks as well as the unique mechanics of the series.
For future installment in the racing franchise simultaneous launched might take place on both the Xbox One and the PC, although no official announcement has yet been made.
Some fans have reacted negatively to the news that Quantum Break was coming to both platforms at the same time, but rumors are saying that the new Gears of War 4 will also be offered on the two devices during the fall.