Gearbox CEO claims that Phil Spencer is making excuses regarding Xbox Series X

One of the main companies which analyse video game technology is Digital Foundry, known best for their in-depth breakdowns of the technology running behind games, as well as evaluating the true graphical fidelity of games. With the reveal of Xbox Series X, Digital Foundry posted a breakdown of the details that are currently known about the console. Phil Spencer’s response to this breakdown was later deemed an “excuse” by Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford.

In the breakdown, Digital Foundry claimed that the Xbox Series X served as a “profound reassessment of the core foundations on which existing console designs are based”. Responding to Digital Foundry, the executive vice-president of Gaming at Microsoft, Phil Spencer (who unveiled the console) tweeted “DF [Digital foundry] does good work. As Moore's law slows and our perf (sic) ambitions increase it leads to design innovation. Software innovations like VRS will also be critical  – Xbox Series X rewrites the rules of console design – and the power level should be extraordinary”.

In Response, the CEO of Gearbox, Randy Pitchford labelled Spencer’s need for ‘design innovation’ as an “excuse”, saying “Is Moore’s Law slowing down? How many transistors in the Series X? What if Moore’s Law is like the 4-minute mile? Your ambitious message for the Xbox One X was inspiring, but for Series X, well, this feels more like an excuse.”

Gearbox is known best for its development of the Borderlands series of games. It is worth noting that Gearbox recently announced that it would be publishing the upcoming ‘looter-slasher’ Godfall, as a PlayStation 5 console exclusive – although Pitchford labels himself as an Xbox gamer. Phil Spencer has yet to Respond to Pitchford’s comments.

With the next generation of consoles steadily approaching it seems that the ‘console wars’ are unfortunately already beginning to heat up, and from the CEO of a AAA games studio nonetheless. Time will tell whether Pitchford’s comments hold any truth, come the release of the Xbox Series X in Holiday 2020.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of the Xbox Series X? Are you concerned that the next generation of console might be underpowered? Which console are you planning to pick up? Let us know down below.

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