image copyright Microsoft Corporation 2020
To stand on top of the console market, you have to have a large consumer base, know what your strengths are and play to those strengths while making your consumer base happy. When it comes to home consoles, (leaving out Nintendo because they don’t put the Switch up against PS5 or Series X) Microsoft and Sony stand at the top because they know what their customers want and what they can deliver on. Since the two companies began competing, Sony has always been ahead when it comes to exclusives. Look back through the library of exclusive Playstation games and it’s easy to see why, from Uncharted to The Last Of Us to Marvel’s Spiderman, they have been unmatched by the competition. Microsoft however have become the company to go to for backwards compatibility. Starting with the Xbox 360 being able to play certain Original Xbox games when, apart from the first edition console, the PS3 could not play PS2 games at all, Xbox took another huge step forward with the Xbox One. That family of consoles can play that same selection of Original Xbox games and almost every Xbox 360 game, with new games being added frequently. You don’t even need the original disc to play, you can buy & download every backward compatible game digitally from the Xbox Marketplace on Xbox One. With the Xbox Series X, Microsoft are doubling down on backwards compatibility, with Original Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One games all being able to run on Series X. This level of backwards compatibility is something no other console manufacturer has ever managed and Microsoft knows how good a feature this is, it’s a key selling point of Xbox consoles.
It’s fair to say Xbox have dominated the market when it comes to backwards compatibility, which is why they’re now looking at forward compatibility, and they don’t even need a time machine to do it. Xbox Smart Delivery is going to be a huge selling point for Series X over Playstation 5, so let me explain what it is and why it’s one of the most consumer-friendly features a console manufacturer has offered in generations.
“Buy A Game Once and Play the Best Version Across Generations with Smart Delivery”
This is how Xbox is describing the Smart Delivery feature in one sentence, but what does that really mean? Let’s say for example, you’re not able to get an Xbox Series X at launch, but you really want to play Cyberpunk 2077, so you buy it for your Xbox One. In normal circumstances, you now have the Xbox One version of the game, but when you get a Series X you’ll have to buy the same game again to get the Series X version. Annoying right? Take it from someone who bought GTA V on PS3, Xbox 360 & Xbox One – it’s annoying. Well, with Smart Delivery, that scenario isn’t normal. Smart Delivery ensures that if you buy Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox One, you’ll get the Series X version of the game free of charge when you buy a Series X. Yep you read that right, free of charge. Xbox will upgrade you to the newest and best version of the game for free.
While that feature by itself is something worth shouting about, there’s even more to it. Not only do you get the upgrade for free, you also get to keep the original version that you bought on Xbox One, so you’re not trading in your old game, you’re getting a new game for free. Smart Delivery will also transfer your save data too, so any progress you’ve made on Xbox One will transfer to Series X. That’s not it either, this feature is also available to physical releases too once the publisher allows it, so if you’ve pre-ordered Assassin’s Creed Valhalla on disc for Xbox One from Gamestop, Smart Delivery will give you the digital version on Series X when you upgrade. But that’s STILL not all! Smart Delivery works as a forwards compatible service sure, but it also ties in to backwards compatibility. What I mean is, if you get a Series X on launch with Halo Infinite for Series X and play a few levels, the next time you turn on your Xbox One; Smart Delivery will recognise that you own Halo Infinite for Series X and will provide you with the Xbox One version for free, allowing you to continue your playthrough on whatever console you feel like.
Microsoft have been keen to push the idea of the “Xbox family of consoles” since the Series X was announced. They never wanted to push the Series X as the end of the Xbox One, they wanted it to be seen as a new addition to the Xbox lineup of consoles. In the past, a new console generation more often than not always ended up alienating a handful on consumers who either couldn’t or didn’t want to upgrade from their current console, but with Series X and Smart Delivery, Microsoft are making sure that their entire consumer base is happy and there’s no pressure to upgrade to the newest system right away. The newest games will all be available to you on your Xbox One, and will all be waiting for you when you’re ready to move to Series X, alongside all of your old favourites with backwards compatibility. When you add in Project XCloud, Microsoft’s attempt at game-streaming, Xbox as a brand is going to be recognised of one of the most cross-platform compatible names in technology, and with all of these new features all being developed and the ongoing relationship with Nintendo, the future of Xbox is not concerned about competing with Sony on exclusives.
In my opinion, making the Series X the most compatible console on the market is a fantastic move by Microsoft. Given the current worldwide economic situation especially, a lot of people won’t be able to grab a Series X or PS5 at launch and will rely on their current console to stay relevant until they can. Microsoft are guaranteeing that with Smart Delivery, and whilst it might mean that Series X isn’t as successful in terms of sales compared to PS5 initially, it ensures that the customers that Xbox have with Xbox One will stick with them and will be comfortable upgrading to a Series X knowing that the game’s they’ve bought already will all work on their new console right out of the box, something that Sony cannot guarantee when making the jump from PS4 to PS5.
Sources:
Smart Delivery Explained – TechRadar ¦¦¦ What is Smart Delivery? – Xbox.com ¦¦¦
Series X Backwards Compatibilty – Forbes ¦¦¦ Backwards Compatibilty on Xbox One – Xbox.com ¦¦¦ Smart Delivery Save Data – TechRadar ¦¦¦ Xbox Series X Console – Xbox.com
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