Xbox President Sarah Bond has confirmed that Microsoft's next-gen console is in development. There's been no shortage of rumors and speculation regarding the company's future plans for the console, especially amid the recent controversy over the price and release of the ASUS handheld. Many details about the next-gen Xbox are still a mystery, but fans now know that something is in the works at Microsoft after all.
Gaming hardware as a whole has sold as well as it has in the past, with some notable exceptions such as the Nintendo Switch 2. Tariffs and other macroeconomic factors have also called into question affordability, leading some to believe that future systems are in for big changes. Some have even claimed that the next-gen Xbox is no longer a certainty, although Microsoft has denied the rumours. Now the players have another clarity from the company.
Xbox president Sarah Bond has confirmed that Microsoft is currently developing its next-generation console
In an interview with Variety, Bond said, “We have our next-generation hardware in development,” while also outlining some of Xbox's plans beyond its recently released handhelds. While she didn't go into specifics, she did mention that the company has at least begun designing and producing prototypes. Bond also said that Xbox is working with AMD on the project and will make an announcement about that partnership soon. The big AMD-related news would match an earlier leak that claimed AMD is building the biggest APU yet for the next-gen Xbox, which will help the console surpass the PlayStation 6, which will also run on AMD components.
During the interview, Bond also hinted at future hardware beyond the successors to the Xbox Series X and S. The Xbox executive said the company recognized an opportunity to “bring gamers another option beyond our next-generation hardware.” This could refer to an in-house manufactured handheld, though Xbox is rumored to have scrapped its first-party handheld after AMD wanted a staggering production target for the system's SoC production. Of course, these are just rumors, but there are also many ways the company could offer players more options outside of another portable console. Fans will have to wait for more official information to know for sure what Bond was proposing.
Whatever the future of Xbox looks like, the company has an uncertain road ahead. On one hand, Xbox Game Pass set a new revenue record in fiscal 2024, but hardware revenue fell 22% during the same period. Microsoft is also facing public backlash over price increases for both its hardware and subscription services, so it will be interesting to see if and how these trends affect the launch of the next-gen Xbox and whatever else may come with it.
- Mark
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Microsoft
- Original release date
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November 10, 2020
- Original MSRP (USD)
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499 dollars
- Operating system
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Proprietary (Windows based)
- Processor
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Custom 8-core AMD Zen 2 3.8 GHz
- Resolution
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720p – 4K UHD
Source: Variety
