Many people have noticed that the original Xbox One console has been selling out at major retailers recently and it was reported that this was due to the console being discontinued. While Microsoft has now confirmed that this is the case and the system was indeed discontinued, it turns out that this wasn’t a recent decision by the company. Instead, Microsoft chose to stop manufacturing the original Xbox One over one year ago after the Xbox One S launched.
“As is typical for the console industry, we stopped manufacturing the original Xbox One when we introduced Xbox One S,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Eurogamer.
Any original Xbox One’s that people saw in stores after this point was from previously available stocks or second-hand used trade-ins. If you can’t find any to purchase, you’ll need to get an Xbox One S system or wait until November for Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox One X, billed as the most powerful console to release on the market.
It doesn’t come as a surprise that Microsoft would want to focus on its Xbox One S line. The original Xbox One was maligned from gamers and professionals alike, with people criticizing its power, bulky design, price, and need for the Kinect peripheral. Microsoft struggled to sell the Xbox’s “all-in-one” message that emphasized entertainment. With the S, the Xbox brand regained some goodwill thanks to a sleeker look, additional power, and a stronger focus on games.
This fall, players can pick up a new limited edition Minecraft-themed Xbox One S, if they want to fork over $399.99. Unfortunately, the Project Scorpio edition Xbox One X has sold out across the world, but pre-orders will open up soon for the standard Xbox One X.
