Microsoft Might Be Ditching Xbox Series X Games' Prominent Sticker Already

With Microsoft's decision to lean heavily into marketing games as cross-generational for Xbox One and the upcoming Xbox Series X, it had to figure out how to convey this effectively to players. The initial solution was to slap a big, green sticker on games' packaging, which has now quickly been moved to the back.

The "Optimized for Xbox Series X" sticker was a clear indicator that the game in question will get updates for the Xbox Series X make use of the most powerful hardware. It's an important feature to market, but the issue on physical boxes was just how much space it was taking up. The box art for Dirt 5 showed this off clearly and is the first game to show its removal too.

The sticker isn't entirely gone though. Industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, who originally shared the sticker's relocation, notes that it isn't gone entirely. It's being redesigned and moved to the back of the box, letting the game's own artwork do more of the talking on the front. It looks cleaner for sure, especially when you now compare the box art to that of the PS5. We've reached out to Microsoft for comment.

UPDATE: We have received a response from a spokesperson at Microsoft: "Retail boxes and online product description pages will clearly denote if a game is Optimized for Xbox Series X with specific iconography. We have nothing further at this time."

Microsoft's own cross-generation message was muddied during its latest Xbox Series X Games Showcase, where many of the first-party exclusives revealed omitted mention of the current-gen Xbox One. It has caused some confusion over the longevity of the promise, leading to the belief that many of the game's shown might be years away.

Physical sales might not mean much soon anyway, as more and more become digital. Capcom recently revealed that more than 80% of its sales are digital, which helps explain why Sony is launching a digital-only version of the PS5. Microsoft is reportedly doing the same with their other next-gen console, codenamed Lockhart, which will supposedly be reveal this August.