Recently, Microsoft has commented on several occasions that they have a new Xbox in the works. We don't have any official details about it, but in early 2024, Xbox boss Sarah Bond said that we can look forward to "the largest technical leap you will have ever seen."
This has, of course, led to lively discussions, but in recent days, leaks have appeared that seem to back her up, and two independent hardware insiders claim that it will be significantly more powerful than the PlayStation 6. Now Sarah Bond herself has once again added fuel to the fire, reaffirming that we can look forward to some seriously powerful hardware for demanding gamers, and even seeming to hint at some kind of hybrid solution between PC and console.
In an interview with Mashable, she states:
"I can tell you you're right, that the next-gen console is going to be a very premium, very high-end curated experience. You're starting to see some of the thinking we have in this handheld, but I don't want to give it all away."
Anyone who has used the recently launched ROG Xbox Ally X knows that with the push of a button, you can switch between what looks like the Xbox interface - where you can manage all your games with analog sticks and buttons - and regular Windows. This would make it possible to also buy games from the Epic Games Store, Steam, or anywhere else (why not where it's cheapest?), and then play them.
This approach could result in a superior library, as nearly everything is currently available for PC, and would make the hardware relatively independent of sales, as the PC format is as resilient as it gets (and those who wish to do so can use Xbox solely for Steam games, among other things).
But if you want it, it will of course cost a pretty penny. Expect the next generation of Xbox to be quite expensive, but it seems that in addition to high performance, it will have a lot of unique tricks and features that will hopefully justify the price tag.