Summary
Microsoft’s strange naming conventions for its recentXboxconsoles have become a bit of a joke among players, but some might not know that it has been going on for a long time.Xbox Series X/S is only the latestin a long string of somewhat baffling choices made by Microsoft in naming its Xbox products. After all, this is the company that called its third console generation the Xbox One.
While Xbox console names are the most well-known source of this strange naming convention, it actually has its roots earlier than even thebeloved Xbox 360.Accessories for the original Xboxwere the first indication of where things were to go, and although the naming convention originally made sense, it has somewhat overstayed its welcome.
Xbox Is Giving Away Butt-Shaped Controllers & Series X For Deadpool & Wolverine Release
To celebrate the release of the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine movie, Xbox has revealed a custom console with two “cheeky” controllers.
Xbox’s Original Controllers Started The Company’s Worst Naming Convention
Xbox Sold A Smaller Controller Called The Controller S
The original Xbox came out 23 years ago, so some younger players may not have experienced playing it with its original controller. The first model that came out with the console was an unwieldy behemoth that seemed more intent on distinguishing itself from the competition than being a functional controller. To fix this, Xbox releaseda smaller and more streamlined version of the controllerknown as the Controller S.
Now, this actually wasn’t a bad naming convention when it first started.“S” clearly stands for small, so it made sense to call the smaller controller the S. It was when Xbox started using the same naming conventions for its consoles that things began to get out of hand. This is less to do with the “S” label, and more to do with the overall confusing way that Microsoft names its systems.
Xbox’s Naming Conventions Have Only Grown More Confusing
Xbox Doesn’t Use Easy To Track Numbers For New Systems
Although the Xbox 360 got a pass - since there were only two generations of Xbox at the time - in retrospect, it is a strange name for a second console. When the Xbox One came out, suddenly the third console in the series had the number one in its name, and the second console had the number three (and a six, and a zero). Add the fact that Xbox Series X and Series S sound like two distinctly different consoles, not essentially the same one in different sizes, andXbox has become one of the least intuitively named consoles.
Contrasted with PlayStation, which wisely just uses numbers to track its generations, Xbox’s consoles are a nightmare for a layperson to keep track of. Similar to Nintendo’s failure to distinguish the Wii U from the Wii,Xboxmay find it harder to market its systems as their naming conventions become all the more esoteric. What started as a reasonable naming convention for a smaller controller has spiraled out of control into one of gaming’s most confusing brands.
Xbox Series X/S
Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are two consoles Microsoft released in November 2020. Like most Xbox models, the Xbox Series X/S was the main competitor to the PlayStation 5. The consoles were the successors to Microsoft’s Xbox One line. While the PS5 and Xbox Series X are comparable interns of graphics, the Xbox Series S provides less powerful graphics around 1080p-1440p and does not contain a disc drive.
