While there were more than a few doubts about the future Xbox game consoles, both due to declining hardware sales compared to systems like the Nintendo Switch and massive structural changes at Microsoft as a whole, the company was able to take full advantage of both high-performance next-generation technology and a healthy dose of nostalgia with the Xbox 720. Yes, the name has been forgotten beyond all belief, but with everything the modern era of gaming has managed to throw a title at the wall, the sen270 may actually be pretty much stuck on the Xbox20 wall just what Microsoft needs to put the Xbox back at the front of the pack and fully reignite the notorious “console wars”.
After a truly honest conversation, Microsoft's Xbox gaming console naming trends are erratic at best, and more often than not, completely nonsensical. It all started with the original Xbox, released in 2001, which was the humble beginning of what later evolved into the oddly named Xbox 360. One of the best-selling video game consoles of its time, the Xbox 360 put Microsoft squarely in direct competition with Sony's PlayStation family of consoles and even Nintendo's range of gaming systems. Meme-worthy in its own right, the Xbox 360 was arguably Microsoft's pinnacle era of console gaming, and it could actually work in Xbox's favor if the next console in the inconsistently named hardware line hearkened back to that golden age.
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Xbox 720 could be the perfect console name for Microsoft
Countless jokes have been made about the irony of the third console in Microsoft's catalog being named the Xbox One, and plenty of fans are still puzzling over the undeniably random jump to the Xbox Series X|S. So would it really be so out of left field for Microsoft to flip its naming conventions 360 degrees and end up going straight back to the Xbox 720? Frankly, embracing the meme and recalling the nostalgia of the old days and the “console wars” could help Microsoft climb back to the top of the hardware sales charts. Microsoft has already announced another big upgrade in terms of system capabilities for its next console, which will likely be a key selling point considering the impending release of the Steam Machine (aka “basically PC”) gaming system and whatever Sony has in store with the PlayStation 6.
In 2025, the PS5 will officially surpass the Xbox 360 in sales, and despite Microsoft's focus on online gaming and cross-platform releases, it would be illogical to think that the Xbox will take that beating. One of the Xbox 360's biggest advantages over the PS3 was the 360's superior performance, especially when playing online. So if the potential Xbox 720 could bring the same prowess to life while introducing more graphical fidelity and operational speed than the PC, Microsoft could have a real champion ready to kick off Sony's new slimfest.
Of course, very little is currently known about the next Xbox console, but if Microsoft can follow in the footsteps of the 360 (and perhaps go full throttle with the 720 title), the company could once again become a strong contender in console gaming. Simple inclusions like backwards compatibility, more storage, and faster download speeds seem like simple inclusions, but the potential Xbox 720 could have even more up its sleeve if Microsoft is willing to prioritize innovation. Only time will tell if the Xbox 720 will ever see the light of day, or if Microsoft is once again cooking up a fresh name for next year. Xbox system, but many are crossing their fingers that whatever the company manages to release can live up to the size of the Xbox 360.
