Next Xbox Specifications and Features Being Decided With Input from Japanese Developers

 

HIGHLIGHTS

• Microsoft has been courting Japanese developers for the next Xbox
• The company is having them weigh in on feature set and innovations
• This could mean the next Xbox may have Japanese exclusives

It's no secret that the next Xbox is in development and Xbox boss Phil Spencer has been courting game developers to decide what kind of features and specifications the next Xbox would have. While this is par for the course for most console makers, what's interesting is, Spencer is working closely with Japanese game developers. Considering the Xbox One lacks the variety of experiences we've seen on the PS4 such as Yakuza 0, Persona 5, and Nioh, it seems that Spencer is intent on closing the gap.

According to an interview with Famitsu (via Game Rant), Spencer talked about taking multiple trips to Japan to visit developers. They let him play the games before release and talk to him about their goals. He feels that this bond is important in fostering a relationship between platform holders like Microsoft and game creators.

While he didn't mention any specific companies that are providing input on the next Xbox he did state that Microsoft has asked Japanese developers what "innovations" they want to see that could be incorporated in the new console (or family of consoles). This could result in a varied feature set and improved specifications (perhaps using high speed GDDR6 memory).

Spencer also stated the next Xbox will focus on frame rate and starting games faster which is to be expected given how poorly optimised the Xbox One OS is. Fans should expect to learn more about the next Xbox and other ways Microsoft plans to appeal to the Japanese audience when more is likely revealed next year. We won't be surprised if these involved timed/permanent exclusives or Microsoft buying out Japanese developers outright.