We know by now that Microsoft has ambitious plans for a new Xbox. They have said so themselves several times, and increasingly frequent and substantial leaks point in the same direction, with a hybrid console that can also function as a PC.
But many have questioned how important it really is for Microsoft to have a console, especially now that they claim that everything is an Xbox. In an interview with Fortune Magazine, Xbox boss Sarah Bond was asked about this, and says she believes that a dedicated Xbox is still very important:
"Hardware is absolutely core to everything that we do at Xbox, because we know that our most valuable players, the people who love Xbox, love the hardware experience, and so that is why we are working on our next generation hardware."
Bond goes on to talk a little about the console and seems to confirm the rumours that it will be closely tied to the PC for those who want to take advantage of that format's benefits or move between formats, and once again highlights its performance:
"It's going to be a powerful experience, and one that also enables people to take their library with them, and that's what's really important here as well, is that we know that while people want to play their library absolutely on the console, they also want to be able to play it on PC or stream it around the cloud.
"And so the Xbox experience starts with the console, but then gives something to people that they can experience across all screens if they choose to, bringing their library, their community, their identity, and the store with them everywhere they go."
It seems unlikely that we will see the next generation of Xbox at The Game Awards next month (even though Xbox Series X was announced during the show in 2019), but next year Xbox will celebrate its 25th anniversary with lots of promotions and exciting games, and according to several rumours, the next Xbox will be launched in 2027. Therefore, it does not seem entirely unlikely that we will see the new console next year, even though nothing has been confirmed.
<bild>Image made with AI.</bild>