The next-gen Xbox console is rolling into view, and we have now some recent hints concerning the course it is heading in.
I reported final 12 months that the next-gen Xbox is actually going to be a Windows 11 gaming PC, albeit with the aptitude to run present Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and legacy backwards-compatible Xbox video games. The new field will likely be able to operating virtually something Windows can throw at it, in essence, though by default, it’ll have a TV-first console-like interface.
For an concept of how the Gen 10 Xbox will operate, you possibly can look to the present Xbox Ally. The Xbox Ally platform from ASUS is a hint at a very early version of the next-gen Xbox console formula. The Xbox interface will sit on top of Windows, disabling unnecessary processes to create a gaming-first environment. You will be able to exit out to full Windows, much like you can exit out to Linux on the Steam Deck, and run practically any program or accessory you can think of.
Turn your next-gen Xbox into a streaming PC, coding station, music production studio, or whatever else. The difference here is that the Gen-10 Xbox “PC” will also run all of your current Xbox games, in addition to games from Windows 11 PC stores like Steam.
A lot of the finer points are shrouded in mystery, though. How powerful will this thing be? What kind of price will it have? When will it launch? Here’s what we know so far.
AMD CEO Lisa Su hints at Gen-10 Xbox launch window
Since then, we hadn’t heard a great deal (officially at least) about how the project has been progressing, until now. In an earnings call with investors, AMD CEO Lisa Su offered a hint at the timeline for the next-gen Xbox.
“Development of Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox featuring an AMD semi-custom SoC is progressing well to support a launch in 2027,” Su said (via Tom’s Hardware).
I’ve been reporting for some time that Microsoft’s touchdown strip for the next-gen Xbox is certainly 2027. Although, I’m informed Microsoft insiders have been just a little taken off-guard by Lisa Su’s feedback on Xbox’s Gen-10 timeline.
AMD’s inner codename for the Xbox SoC is “Magnus,” our sources verify, though that isn’t Microsoft’s codename for the precise machine itself. I’ve been reporting for some time that Microsoft’s touchdown strip for the next-gen Xbox is certainly 2027. Although I’m informed Microsoft insiders have been just a little taken off guard by Lisa Su’s feedback on the Gen 10 Xbox’s timeline.
Microsoft hasn’t totally internally dedicated to a onerous 2027 launch window for the next-gen Xbox platform, since a lot of it hinges on enhancements to Windows 11 and different elements. Microsoft’s Windows and Xbox groups are collaborating tougher than ever to get the OS into form for a elegant, console-like expertise on Xbox. And thus, they don’t seem to be forcing themselves to stick to a particular onerous cut-off level. You can consider 2027 because the “best case scenario,” however having a elegant expertise is the north star for Xbox.
There are plenty of transferring components, in essence, each on the software program and {hardware} sides.
What to anticipate concerning the next-gen Xbox’s price
There are a ton of rumors flying round about potential value factors for the next-gen Xbox, however the fact is, Microsoft itself would not understand how a lot the next-gen Xbox will likely be simply but.
It’s for a similar causes that Valve has but to announce the Steam Machine value, and why ASUS waited till the final minute to announce the Xbox Ally value. Global tariffs, element prices, geopolitics, and provide points have costs closely in flux proper now.
With RAM prices spiralling and U.S. tariff taxes pushing up client costs, price-consciousness appears to be a warmer subject than ever. TV producers are abandoning 8K resolutions for his or her next-gen TVs owing to cost, and Nintendo lately warned traders that it might be contemplating a value enhance for its Switch 2 platform. So it is no shock that one of many questions I’m requested most frequently pertains to the following Xbox’s value.
It does sound as if the next-gen Xbox is pushing for a extra premium expertise from its first-party providing, however that does not imply Xbox will abruptly grow to be inaccessible for many who cannot justify the spend.
Indeed, I’m informed Microsoft expects the Gen-9 Xbox Series X|S and PS5 to have an extended tail than typical on account of this “broadening” {hardware} endpoint ecosystem. It’s solely been lately that PS4 and Xbox One consoles have stopped seeing a full complement of main AAA video games, with many service video games nonetheless maintained on these older techniques.
So, even when the next-gen Xbox is available in at round $1,000 {dollars} as some anticipate, Xbox Series S gamers should not anticipate to be abruptly reduce off and priced out. Developers of all styles and sizes, Microsoft included, are constructing video games that concentrate on the Nintendo Switch 2, Steam Deck, and different lower-end sorts of gadgets. That’ll proceed for chunk of time, even after the next-gen Xbox launches.
On that time, I’m informed Microsoft can be working with OEMs akin to ASUS and the wish to construct a wide range of choices for next-gen Xbox avid gamers throughout a variety of value factors, like the 2 Xbox Ally fashions. Despite rumors on the contrary, I’m informed Microsoft additionally nonetheless desires to make a first-party Xbox handheld ultimately, too, even when the standard next-gen Xbox console is the main target for now.
Xbox’s first-party console would be the baseline, quintessential “Xbox” expertise, however we might see costlier, much more super-premium Xbox “consoles” from Microsoft’s Windows companions, in addition to slimmed-down, extra reasonably priced choices on high. Expect a smorgasbord of improvements within the coming years on this entrance, from a wide range of firms.
Xbox’s most formidable {hardware} platform but
The Gen-10 Xbox platform is undoubtedly Microsoft’s most formidable gaming effort in historical past. Having the Windows and Xbox groups collaborate so intently has big potential for avid gamers, but in addition represents equally big challenges.
Microsoft is currently testing a new NPU-powered highlights reel feature for the Xbox Ally X, which will take your gameplay clips and automatically generate a shareable video of your best gameplay moments. This feature is slated to drop in March, 2026, all being well. If these new types of features land well on the Xbox Ally X, they’ll find their way into the next-gen Xbox, too.
Microsoft is building a hardware ecosystem that revolves around that “Xbox Everywhere” identity. We could start to see new accessories that dovetail into this ecosystem even before the next Xbox launches later this year.
The next Xbox platform not only lets you choose what hardware experience you want, but what storefront you want to use. In the future, you can expect a variety of Xbox devices of all shapes and sizes, from an array of traditional Microsoft OEM PC partners.
Xbox aims to grow the entire industry all up, which in its view, means breaking down arbitrary barriers, promoting cross-play multiplayer, cross-platform saves, and cross-platform purchasing. Its Xbox Play Anywhere program is designed to facilitate this, but it’s also why Microsoft has been bringing its games more aggressively to Steam, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch 2 as well. Microsoft has also been working to open up the Xbox platform for developers, making it easier to submit and publish new games. We should hear more updates on this front at GDC 2026.
For customers, the next Xbox platform not only lets you choose what hardware experience you want, but what storefront you want to use. Epic recently told us it’s ready to bring its own Epic Games Store to the next Xbox, and Steam is a clear shoo-in.
Xbox likely won’t expect the kinds of volumes seen by previous generations with its first-party offering, but it doesn’t need to. You can think of the next-gen Xbox similarly to how Microsoft handles Surface — a curated boutique experience in a wider Xbox hardware ecosystem. The software is the platform, and software ubiquity is the goal. But that isn’t to say Microsoft is abandoning its own hand in the hardware ecosystem. In fact, it’s expanding it, arguably more aggressively than ever.
We’ve already seen the ASUS Xbox Ally, but we’ll see even more of these types of partnerships in the future, complete with the custom Xbox console compatible SoC designated by AMD as “Magnus.”
Opening up Xbox to OEMs and the wider Windows ecosystem should help Xbox and its partners deliver more curated, tailor-made experiences for specific markets, across different types of users, form factors, and price points. Meeting players where they are is now the firm’s primary aim, both in terms of software and in terms of use case scenarios. In the future, you can expect a variety of Xbox devices of all shapes and sizes from an array of traditional Microsoft OEM PC partners.
The fundamental vision for the original Xbox revolved around bringing Windows to the living room. In a way, we’ve come full circle here. It’s Microsoft’s most ambitious hardware plan since the inception of Windows itself, but also, for Xbox, probably its most risky.
It sounds incredibly exciting on paper, but can Microsoft pull it off? We’ll find out together.
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