During the latest episode of the Official Xbox Podcast, Microsoft revealed that not only are they bringing four Xbox exclusive titles to rival hardware platforms, but that they’re also already planning their own next generation console. The tech giant has reassured Xbox gamers that despite expanding their titles to other platforms, the focus is still on Xbox, with the upcoming console set to provide the ‘largest technical leap’ forward too.
According to Xbox President Sarah Bond, the next generation Xbox will see the largest technical leap ever seen in a hardware generation for gaming consoles. This will not only make it better for players, but also for game developers who want to build the game that they envision. So far, it seems that they will only talk more about it by the holiday season, but Bond notes that they do see the Xbox as where gamers can experience the flagship, seminal gaming experience that Microsoft has to offer.
“We got more to come. There’s some exciting stuff coming out in hardware that we’re going to share this holiday. And we’re also invested in the next generation roadmap. And what we’re really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation, which makes it better for players and better for creators and the visions that they’re building,” – Sarah Bond, Xbox President
This is all part of Microsoft’s bid to dispel any fears that they would be abandoning their Xbox hardware division; quite the contrary in fact. Microsoft wants Xbox gamers to have confidence in the long term future of their ecosystem, as this would encourage players to continue buying not just Xbox consoles but games on Xbox too. They add that this comes with not only future consoles but also backwards compatibility, cross-play, cross save progression and more. Then there’s their Game Pass service too, giving gamers on both Xbox and Windows PCs easy access to a huge library of games.
Incidentally, it seems that Microsoft might be planning more than just a next generation Xbox. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has hinted that their hardware team is looking at other forms of hardware too. In a conversation with The Verge, Spencer reveals that the Xbox hardware team is already thinking about creating different types of devices with unique aspects. When asked if this could include handhelds like the ROG Ally, Spencer noted that he’s a big fan of them but isn’t able to say anything more at this point of time. He does however add that it is really Windows that’s holding back the gaming experience on these handheld consoles, and that their Xbox platform team is already working with Windows to improve on that experience.
At the moment though, the most that Microsoft is willing to divulge is that they have a ‘robust and innovative’ multi year roadmap with more console and controller options for everyone. For more about what Microsoft has to say about Xbox, you can watch the full Official Xbox Podcast episode yourself below:
