Its pretty amazing how some people believe that the games wont be held back or at least not that much.
I guess for MS it was the most logical thing to do because:
1: Small install base and prospects that it wont be large enough in the first two years to be able to return the investments.
2: Most of their studios are not true AAA studios, or divided into smaller teams and the required investment for AAA on next gen is not present. On top of the current approach being focused on quantity (new game each 1-2 month) for their gamepass model.
3: I am guessing they figured because the "lockheart" is already close to the current gen specs, might as well include the original Xbox one as well.
But by doing this the dont give much reason for people to get the next gen console, and leaving the install base small means less support from third party developers. I already heard some who have an X, decide to go with PS5 first and possibly upgrade at a latter stage to the SX.
I will not be surprised when most of the newer xbox studios will remain multiplatform. With their focus primary on selling software (on as many devices possible) and subscriptions (on mobile, pc and xbox consoles).
1. "Small" install base? 45 million Xbox Ones is small? Being outsold >2-1 by the competition doesn't mean Xbox has a small install base, not even accounting for what ever numbers they pick up on PC.
2. Most of their newer studios are new enough that they wouldn't be attempting AAA offerings until after the aforementioned 1-2 years anyway.
3. No one knows the Lockhart specs but even so, the rumoured specs are not even close to current specs. Tflops are rumoured to be slightly above current X1X numbers, and then GPU, CPU, SSD etc are all in line with the SX. Implying that's close to current gen specs is plain wrong.
Xbox studios are not "staying" let alone going Multiplatform. They're making games for Xbox and PC. MS could care less where you play their games, just that you play them, that's what this entire strategy is about. So your point about your friend sticking with his current Xbox is exactly what they want, they don't care if he's buying a PS5. He's staying in their ecosystem. No ones saying there isn't a bottom line when it comes to console sales but one of these days people really need to stop clinging to it as the be-all and end-all. This isn't a zero-sum game, PS "winning" doesn't mean MS "loses".