There’s been a lot of speculation about how Microsoft plans to handle its next Xbox hardware. From rumours about what the specifications will look like, to suggestions that they might abandon consoles altogether to focus on hardware.
However, Microsoft themselves have recently made several suggestions that they’re committed to staying in the race, although how their upcoming strategy might differ from what’s been seen in previous generations has yet to be revealed.
Ex-PlayStation boss Shawn Layden recent suggested Xbox’s console days “are numbered”.
However, recent statements by Microsoft VP Jason Ronald provide some insight as to how they’re looking to adapt to a rapidly changing ecosystem.
A Flexible Approach to the Next Xbox Console
It’s not only Xbox that is the subject of several rumours about what form the console will take, there is also talk of the next PlayStation taking on a direction more akin to the Nintendo Switch; being both a home and portable console at once.
Jason Ronald could potentially have been hinting at a similar approach, highlighting the importance of player convenience in his discussion on the next generation.
“When we think about the future of the Xbox, we’re really focused on how do we put the player at the center of the experience, and when you really look at how modern players play games today, the vast majority play across multiple different devices.
“So what we’re really focused on is how do we evolve the Xbox ecosystem to allow players to play the games wherever you want to play them, while at the same time, we’re continuing to build dedicated devices that are optimized for gaming, like the Xbox Ally or next-generation console.
“So it’s really just focused on how players like playing games in the current environment and just designing and building a platform with them at the center.”
Xbox Handheld Console
This reference to the upcoming Xbox handheld is important, as that could be a strong indicator of what Microsoft plans to do next.
Many have theorised that Xbox might be moving their consoles closer to the realm of PC gaming, and the ROG Xbox Ally X looks to be very much emulating the Steam Deck in that regard.
Early previews have highlighted the impressive technical power on display, with the stronger Ally X having AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chipset, 24GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD, while the base model ROG Xbox Ally has an AMD Ryzen Z2A chipset, 16GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD.
The Multiplatform Strategy
Suggestions that Xbox might be looking to turn its sole focus away from consoles partially stemmed from Microsoft’s recent multiplatform approach, bringing its exclusive games to rival platforms like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation.
This doesn’t necessarily look to be changing anytime soon, with Microsoft previously suggesting that their games won’t be “locked to a single store.”
However, this strategy doesn’t have to clash with also releasing a new generation of consoles, especially if these consoles feature the “largest technical leap you will ever have seen in a hardware generation” as president Sarah Bond stated in February.
