Cliff Notes – Next gen Xbox is ‘100%’ in development says Microsoft but fans aren’t so sure
- Xbox president Sarah Bond has confirmed that a next generation Xbox is in development, despite ongoing scepticism from fans regarding Microsoft’s commitment to hardware production.
- The company faces distrust due to past inconsistencies and a shift towards multiformat releases, leading many to question the viability of a new console.
- Speculation suggests that the next Xbox may resemble a branded desktop PC, following the trend of partnerships like the one with AMD and the recent ROG Xbox Ally devices.
Next gen Xbox is ‘100%’ in development says Microsoft but fans aren’t so sure
They really are making another one, honest guv! The Xbox president has insisted that there absolutely, definitely is going to be a next gen Xbox – no backsies – but is she being honest with fans?
It’s best not to believe anything from someone that’s trying to sell you something, but there is a particular level of distrust around Microsoft at the moment, following their clumsy move towards multiformat releases and their willingness to praise a developer in one breath and shut them down in the next.
They don’t help themselves by saying things like their next gen console will be the ‘largest technical leap’ ever seen, which seems all but impossible (the common consensus is they’re talking about AI).
Given how poorly Xbox consoles have been selling for the last decade, many don’t even think they’re really making a new device and were quick to believe reports that it has been cancelled. But Microsoft denied that and have now reiterated that a next generation device is currently in development.
The comments come via Xbox president Sarah Bond, who was talking up the recently released ROG Xbox Ally devices, which are Xbox branded but made by Asus rather than Microsoft.
Many suspect that whatever the next gen Xbox is, it will follow a similar route and be essentially an Xbox branded desktop PC. Bond didn’t comment on that, but she did insist that, ‘We have our next gen hardware in development.’
‘We are 100% looking at making things in the future,’ she said. ‘We’ve been looking at prototyping, designing. We have a partnership we’ve announced with AMD around it, so that is coming.
Tons of innovation to come
‘There’s a ton more innovation to come, including things like further optimising the experience here [on ROG Xbox Ally], scaling out the handheld compatibility programme, offering more benefits and improvements to the experience and other features and adds that we’re going to give to people and more choices and more games,’ she added.
According to Variety, there’s also still the possibility of Xbox-made handhelds, although there is no quote from Bond which alludes to that.
The deal with AMD is definitely something that happened
For something that was supposed to be a rebuttal of current scepticism, her wording is very loose and makes it seem as if the new hardware is a long way off, despite rumours that it will arrive in 2027.
‘I do believe that there will be a next generation of consoles,’ said Redditor Game_Bread. ‘However, I have a personal theory that after the next generation of consoles, Xbox will shift to making more hardware like the Xbox Rog Ally and Xbox branded PCs.’
This seems to be a common sentiment amongst fans, with fatfatpokemons09, in the same thread, suggesting that, ‘I honestly wouldn’t mind an Xbox PC hybrid that maintains the ecosystem and allows me some other features like gaming in the Windows ecosystem, Steam, etc.’
‘Yeah I’m betting we get one ‘Xbox brand’ plug ‘n’ play PC experience, and then it’ll kickstart the Xbox Partnered Hardware stuff across the board for any OEM to make their own Xboxes, sorta like what the Steambox tried to do a decade ago,’ added SuperBAMF007.
The latter is a reference to previous rumours about Microsoft giving up manufacturing their own hardware and instead allowing other companies to make their own PC hybrids with Xbox branding -something that has already begun to happen with the Asus ROG Xbox Ally.
ROG Xbox Ally to get Xbox 360 emulation claims source
On the face of it, the ROG Xbox Ally devices seem like a minor release, unlikely to be any more popular than other similar PC handhelds, but a new rumour suggests that Microsoft is working on Xbox console emulation for the hardware.
According to insider Jez Corden the emulation would only be for certain Xbox 360 games but would be an attempt to deflect criticism that the ROG Xbox Ally isn’t actually a games console.
However, given the low sales off all similar devices, including the Steam Deck, it’s hard to imagine the ROG Xbox Ally ever becoming a mass market concern, especially given the £800 asking price for the ROG Xbox Ally X.
However, the future of Xbox is uncertain, even for Microsoft.
