<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything is an Xbox\u201d sounds like a great tagline until you ask gamers what they truly want from Microsoft\u2019s longtime console brand. Here\u2019s a hint: it\u2019s not more cloud gaming. The catchphrase \u201ceverything in an Xbox\u201d may be better suited to the next-gen console that could arrive as soon as 2027. That\u2019s because every new leak suggests the next-gen Xbox is a PC in console\u2019s clothing.<\/p>\n
Judging by the latest rumors, the next Xbox is Microsoft\u2019s best chance to finally upset the status quo of console gaming, like it keeps saying it will. Xbox President Sarah Bond confirmed last year that the next-gen console is in development and would offer a \u201cpremium experience.\u201d The only thing we knew for certain was that it would feature an AMD chip and play Xbox One and Series X titles out of the box.<\/p>\n
Windows Central\u2019s Jez Cordon, citing anonymous sources, wrote that we won\u2019t just have one Xbox choice. Like the tech giant already does with PCs, it could farm out its software and hardware designs to other computer makers, often referred to as OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). Sure, we\u2019ll likely see yet another boxy console meant to occupy precious space beside your TV. However, we could see the \u201cXbox\u201d experience across a range of consoles, handhelds, and other form factors.<\/p>\n
See at Xbox Series X and S at Amazon<\/p>\n
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X featured a \u201cfull screen experience\u201d and was built to let you access multiple launchers. It needs a new coat of paint if it hopes to entice the console crowd. \u00a9 Adriano Contreras \/ Gizmodo<\/p>\n
The next-gen Xbox\u2019s AMD APU (accelerated processing unit), called \u201cMagnus\u201d in early testing, is expected to be more powerful than anything found in a current console. It will feature the incoming Zen 6 CPU and RDNA 4 GPU microarchitecture, along with whatever upscaling technology the chipmaker is cooking up. What we know about the console\u2019s performance suggests it could be an expensive device, priced as high as $1,000. The best-case scenario for our wallets is if AMD offers several versions of its chip at different price points. It\u2019s more likely that Magnus will be a singular high-end APU. If we want cheaper Xboxes, they\u2019ll likely sport weaker specs.<\/p>\n
In such a scenario, Microsoft can\u2019t forget about console convenience. Gamers expect games built for a specific console to run well and look great without any need to futz with graphics. It took Xbox months after the launch of its partner handhelds, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X, to create game-specific performance profiles for these devices.<\/p>\n
While it should be backward compatible with Xbox One and Series titles, the next-gen Xbox may not be beholden to the Xbox games library. The head of Epic Games Store, Steve Allison, told Stephen Totilo in his Game File newsletter last week that he\u2019s planning to get the PC launcher onto the new Xbox hardware. Windows Central further confirmed that other launchers, such as Steam and GOG, will be compatible with the new device.<\/p>\n
Microsoft has forgotten that console gamers want a convenient way to play. \u00a9 Chikena \/ Shutterstock<\/p>\n
Just like Valve\u2019s Linux-based SteamOS, the new Xbox could allow players to perform non-gaming tasks or\u2014more importantly\u2014apply mods, retro emulators, or other specialty gaming software to their console. Hell, since it\u2019s a Windows machine, any PC peripheral could work on a next-gen Xbox. The Verge\u2019s Tom Warren claimed, based on more internal sources, that the upcoming console will steal from the recent Xbox Cloud Gaming visual update. That means bigger windows, a more colorful interface, and controller-centric navigation. It sounds like the bare minimum, but Microsoft has shown it\u2019s having to relearn the same lessons all over again with its Xbox Ally UI.<\/p>\n
Valve has already promised many of these same capabilities with its upcoming Steam Machine. That 6-by-6-inch hybrid console\/PC is set to arrive in the first half of 2026, though we still don\u2019t know its price. Valve is a smaller, more nimble company than the lumbering titan that is Microsoft. The multibillion-dollar tech giant imagines it can beat Valve with its influence over third-party OEMs. And you know what? That could just work.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more important for Xbox is whether it can shift console gaming toward a model of consumer choice. Xbox has indicated over the past several years that players no longer need to worry about console exclusivity. The issue with that pledge is that longtime Xbox fans were abandoned in its quest to reach a wider base. Consumers saw the writing on the wall and left Xbox\u2019s hardware business in the dust. If it wants to succeed, Xbox has to remind everyone that it can still do hardware and offer features players can\u2019t get anywhere else.<\/p>\n
See at Xbox Series X and S at Amazon<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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