There’s Something Weird Going On At Xbox

Those chickens are up to something.

Xbox Series X

Some recent news has emerged that suggests that Xbox are in the midst of radically shifting their consumer offerings, specifically with regards to their consoles and Xbox Live Gold. This is speculation, of course, but it could have huge ramifications for Xbox’s next-gen plans.

Firstly, various news sites have been reporting that the Xbox One and the Xbox One X have routinely been listed as “out of stock” or “discontinued” on plenty of online retailers around the world. These reports are coming in from the US via sites like Amazon and Target, or from EB Games and JB Hi-Fi in Australia, suggesting that stock of both consoles won’t be refilled any time soon. The UK retailers are a little better with regards to stock, though Microsoft’s own store has two Xbox One X bundles out of stock, along with many One S bundles.

The theory here feeds into Xbox’s plans to release another console alongside the Xbox Series X, which is currently codenamed Lockhart. Lockhart is supposed to be the midway point between the Xbox One X and the Series X, so Xbox could be looking at discontinuing the original Xbox One and Xbox One X, leaving the Xbox One S as the lowest entry point.

On top of that, Xbox seems to have quietly phased out the yearly subscriptions to Xbox Live Gold. The removal was first noticed by Cheap Ass Gamer on Twitter, and comes at a time where there are rumours and sentiment that the Gold membership will be folded into the Xbox Game Pass/Game Pass Ultimate.

So what does all this mean? It seems pretty obvious that Xbox will be continuing the three console method that’s currently on offer with the Xbox One, One S and One X, shifting the goalposts so that the One S becomes the low entry point when the next-gen consoles launch. The Xbox Live Gold development is a new one, though it’s not outside the realm of imagination for Xbox to streamline their online subscription offerings so that the perks of Gold come as standard with Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate.

With an Xbox Series X showcase set for next week, along with a rumoured Lockhart reveal in August, Microsoft have plenty of opportunities to reveal what their plans are for the upcoming next-gen consoles, along with the future of Xbox Live Gold. What are your best theories regarding Xbox’s future? Sound off in the comments.

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