As Switch 2 approaches, original Xbox designer says console power doesn't matter anymore because content is king, and he "would not have done things the same way" Microsoft has

gamesradar.com:

Seamus Blackley, the designer of the original 2001 Xbox console, reckons the raw hardware horsepower of new consoles is no longer relevant in an industry where wins and losses are decided by content more than anything.

Speaking to VideoGamer, Blackley recalls the ways of old, back when consoles were still making sizable technical advances generation over generation, and the idea of a box o' games was still relatively novel. The Xbox was deliberately built to out-muscle Nintendo and Sony competitors as part of Microsoft's strategy of, "'Okay, we’re going to lose money on these to make them super powerful' and take a bet on the games being awesome."

"[Being the most powerful] was also important to get the guys going into the future," Blackley adds. "And then, you know, how they managed that brand and the story going forward is not my f**king fault, and it's not, you know, I would not have done things the same way. I don't know if it would have been more or less successful, but I certainly think that this narrative around being more powerful is not helpful today."

Blackley points to PlayStation's Gran Turismo as an example of the kind of technical leap that you just don't see with consoles anymore. "I had to buy it just because I couldn’t believe what was happening on the screen was happening on the screen, right, and that was compelling and that doesn’t exist anymore," he says. As consoles deliver smaller advancements with each generation, we no longer see "graphics that make you feel that way."

Instead, consoles win people over with games that make good use of their tech to deliver fun experiences, and you don't need the strongest hardware to pull that off. Blackley agrees that you needn't look further than the runaway success of the Nintendo Switch, which was weaker than its competitors even at launch and is now several processor generations behind the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

Based on leaked specs, early reports, and Nintendo's holding pattern, the impending Nintendo