In a presentation session about the future of Xbox, we’ve learned a bit more about Project Scarlett and what it means to be Xbox’s next generation of consoles.
Perhaps most notably is that, unlike Xbox One S and Xbox One X, Project Scarlett is not in the Xbox One family of devices at all. Instead, it will take on a new name and product line, but will remain compatible with all hardware and software for Xbox One.
Speaking with Dan McCulloch, General Manager of Xbox Live, we asked whether Scarlett would in fact be an “Xbox One” device, or if it would be marketed as something entirely new.
The response, short and telling, was: “It will be a separate product.”
This likely also means that the console, while completely supporting previous generations including backward compatibility, will have its own games that won’t be playable on previous systems. For example, that Halo Infinite launch title on Project Scarlett may not be playable on Xbox One systems previous.
Microsoft may also decide to take a tiered approach where certain games are better on Scarlett, or just dropping off the oldest of the hardware, for example, making some games playable on Xbox One S or Xbox One X and newer, until the devices after Scarlett are released.
We expect to find out more in the coming year leading up to E3 2020 where we’ll likely hear all about Project Scarlett, and its official name, pricing, and launch details.