It's genuinely sad to see Xbox fade into irrelevance. A few poorly received exclusives like Redfall weren't enough to kill the brand—the problems ran much deeper than that.

The Series S Bottleneck

One fundamental flaw plagued the entire generation: Series X games had to be compatible with the Series S. This meant that X games could never truly push boundaries—they were essentially Series S games with better graphics. Developers were constantly held back by the need to support the weaker hardware, preventing the Series X from ever realizing its full potential.

Game Pass: The Final Nail in the Coffin

The recent price hike in Game Pass ultimately sealed Xbox's fate. The service was never particularly good value for money, but now it costs $360 a year for games you don't actually own. Sure, you get achievements and day-one releases, but paying over £200 annually just to rent access to a library? It's simply not worth it.

The Price That Never Fell

Perhaps most telling is the Series X's pricing. Five years after release, it still hasn't depreciated—in fact, it's going up in price. This is virtually unheard of in console gaming and speaks volumes about Microsoft's disconnect from the market.

Remembering Better Days

The Xbox 360 brought about a golden age in console gaming, the likes of which we'll never see again. It's a shame that the brand that once dominated a generation couldn't recapture that magic. The death of Xbox marks the end of an era, and it's one that will be mourned by those who remember when the green logo meant something special.

Rest in peace, Xbox. You deserved better.