From a design perspective, the next generation of gaming hasn't left us hugely impressed so far. The PS5 console itself has been widely mocked for resembling a WiFi router, and the Xbox Series X hasn't fared much better, with many comparing it to a fridge. But one graphic design element left fans particularly unhappy: Microsoft's 'Optimised for Xbox Series X' logo.
The mark, designed to denote Xbox One games that will look better on the upcoming Series X console, ironically made the games' box art look much, much worse. Slapped across several game covers, the massive, bright green logo has been hugely unpopular online (needless to say, it won't be hitting our best logos list). Thankfully, it seems Microsoft has taken note, deciding to, er, optimise the logo's placement.
According to games analyst Daniel Ahmad (above), the monstrosity has now been relegated to the back of game boxes, offering a "more subtle mention of it being optimised for Xbox Series X".
When the first batch of box art was revealed last month, many fans were quick to share their displeasure, and to compare the 'Optimised for Xbox Series X' box designs with the more minimal PS5 offerings. In fact, Twitter was almost as crowded as Microsoft's box art itself:
From those PS5 wireless router memes to the reaction to Microsoft's logo, fans are able to make their feelings known pretty quickly thanks to social media – and in some cases even influence or completely reverse design decisions. Thankfully for Microsoft, in this case it seems to simply mean moving a logo from the front to the back of a box. Some designers have faced a much more gargantuan task as a result of fan pressure – who can forget last year's infamous Sonic the Hedgehog redesign?
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