With a next-gen Xbox just months away, Microsoft ends production on 2 major Xbox models
- With the next-generation Xbox game console scheduled to arrive this holiday season, Microsoft is paring down its portfolio of Xbox consoles in production.
- The Xbox One X and the Xbox One S All Digital Edition are both being phased out, with production ending, as the production of the next-gen Xbox Series X ramps up.
- The only current-gen Xbox console that will remain in production is the Xbox One S.
This holiday season, both Sony and Microsoft plan to launch new, next-generation versions of the PlayStation and the Xbox.
Goodbye, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One! Hello, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X!
Alongside that transition, Microsoft is thinning its expansive portfolio of Xbox consoles: Both the Xbox One X and Xbox One S All Digital Edition production runs are ending, Microsoft said in a statement sent to Business Insider on Thursday.
Microsoft will continue to produce and offer the Xbox One S console, but the focus going forward is on next-gen Xbox Series X consoles — a "natural step" as both Sony and Microsoft shift to the next gaming generation.
"As we ramp into the future with Xbox Series X, we're taking the natural step of stopping production on Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition," the statement said. "Xbox One S will continue to be manufactured and sold globally."
Notably, the Xbox One X is the far more powerful version of the original Xbox One and Xbox One S, while the Xbox One S All Digital Edition was simply an Xbox One S without a Blu-ray disc drive.
When the Xbox Series X arrives this holiday, it will play all Xbox One games, in addition to a variety of Xbox 360 and original Xbox games. It is intended as a direct replacement of the Xbox One.
Got a tip? Contact Business Insider senior correspondent Ben Gilbert via email (bgilbert@businessinsider.com), or Twitter DM (@realbengilbert). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by email only, please.