We already know that the next-gen Xbox console isn’t locked to a single store, will use an AMD chip inside, and will maintain compatibility with existing Xbox games. Now, Microsoft appears to be teasing that the next-gen Xbox will be some type of hybrid console and PC.
Xbox president Sarah Bond sat down with Mashable this week to discuss the latest Xbox Ally X handheld, and dropped some vague hints about Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox console. When asked about rumors that the next-gen Xbox console will be more PC-like and more powerful, Bond appeared to agree. “I can tell you you’re right, that the next-gen console will be a very premium and high-end curated experience,” said Bond. “You’re starting to see some of the thinking we have in this handheld, but I don’t want to give it all away.”
I’ve been writing for more than a year that the next Xbox console will be more PC-like, and that the Xbox Ally devices are an early look at what’s to come. Bond’s latest comments are subtle, but they once again line up with her previous promise of delivering an “Xbox experience not locked to a single store or tied to one device,” and prioritizing Windows. “That’s why we’re working closely with the Windows team to ensure that Windows is the number one platform for gaming,” said Bond in June, while announcing a multi-year partnership with AMD for a portfolio of Xbox devices.
I’m convinced that Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox console will be powered by Windows and be part of a number of devices from third parties that Microsoft also considers Xbox consoles. A $1,000 Xbox Ally X handheld tests the appetite for pricey next-gen consoles, and it may well also test the appetite for a combination of Xbox and Windows. Perhaps that’s what Bond means when she says the next-gen Xbox will deliver “the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation.”