Xbox President: The best argument against the Xbox Series S was Sony

 Microsoft is making more Xbox Series X consoles compared to Series S at the moment

Microsoft's Xbox Series S wasn't a completely kept secret, but the company's decision to create a second-generation Xbox to face the PS5 wasn't an easy one. Ultimately, Microsoft's decision to build two next-generation controllers came about because of the company's desire to reach a wider audience than Sony was targeting.

The Xbox Series S lacks the raw horsepower found on the larger Xbox Series X or PS5 consoles. This left many wondering why Microsoft created two next-generation Xbox controllers, while Sony focused on one powerful PS5. Even some Microsoft employees were skeptical of the decision, and the company's Xbox chief revealed to that "the best argument against the work of [two next-generation controllers] was Sony."

In an interview , Microsoft's chief of games, Phil Spencer, said that the entry-level Xbox Series S idea "has been internally questioned many times." Despite reservations and Spencer having "a lot of respect for what Sony does," Microsoft continued to create the $ 299 S Series as an affordable entry point into next-generation gaming knowing that Sony was only pursuing high-end hardware.

"It was really the implication: how we can include more people in the frenzy and the hype and everything that's going on, and make it accessible to [as many] people as possible," Spencer explains. "We want to think about how to get more people to the gaming track, and get more people to try this art form that we love," Spencer says. "The retreat from [using one console] was always, but we want to grow and we want to find new customers."

Xbox Series S holds the next generation of games to an extent. Sony's method was to create two PS5 models with the same hardware specs, one without a drive. "The way I was going to frame it, the best argument against [next-generation controllers] working was Sony," Spencer reveals. "We didn't think they would."

Xbox Series X and Series S are hard to find and buy at this time, and that mode will likely last for months now. "We started manufacturing in the late summer," reveals Spencer. "We were a little behind the competition, because we were waiting for some specific AMD technologies in our chipsets. We were a little behind where they were, where Sony was, in terms of building the units."

The decision to fully implement AMD's RDNA 2 technologies likely means Sony has more units to ship this holiday season. Microsoft hasn't revealed the benefits of getting the full RDNA 2 support it will bring to the Xbox Series X over the PS5, or why the company is willing to keep and influence charging plans. It is a decision that can be made in what is supported in the games in the coming months and years.

For now, you will likely see more Xbox Series X consoles available over the next year than Series S. While the Xbox Series S is positioned as an entry point, Spencer revealed that Microsoft is still currently making more Xbox Series X consoles compared to the Series. S to keep up with demand. "We figured out that our first vacation, and probably our second weekend probably, you'll see more of the high-end SKU, the X Series that sold out," Spencer says. "We designed the Series Xs more than we did in the Series Ss. I think when we go into the Spring and Summer we will probably moderate that a little bit. In the long term, in most cases the price wins."