These previous few years have been bizarre for Xbox, and certainly the console market as an entire. Microsoft appears to have conceded the battle of exclusives, which has been so central to the so-called console wars, bringing flagship IP like Gears of War and Forza to PlayStation, with Halo quickly to affix them. This, coupled with the Xbox Sequence X|S’s dwindling market share, has led many to imagine that Microsoft is trying to bow out of the {hardware} enterprise altogether.
This narrative is not precisely new; folks have been speculating about Xbox shifting its priorities to software program as early because the PS4/Xbox One period. Such theories stem principally from Microsoft’s obvious reluctance to throw its full weight behind highly effective exclusives, bucking the technique employed by Nintendo and Sony, though the corporate itself often pushed again on such claims, reaffirming its dedication to robust first-party video games. However that is not the case at present, with Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer throwing chilly water on the exclusives technique within the wake of Redfall‘s historic failing, and Xbox President Sarah Bond extra lately disavowing the follow, calling it “antiquated.” On the identical time, Bond and Spencer each keep that Xbox is not going to be tapping out of the console area fully, although the corporate’s subsequent steps will not be what some predict.
What We Actually Know Concerning the Subsequent ‘Xbox’
Earlier than anything, it is value bearing on what has really been confirmed via official channels, AKA Xbox and its companions. For one factor, we all know that Microsoft is certainly making one other house console—that a lot is past query at this level, having been confirmed by Bond instantly. Simply final summer season, the Xbox president introduced the corporate’s multi-year partnership with AMD for its “next-generation {hardware} lineup, throughout console, handheld, PC, cloud, and equipment.” This partnership lately manifested in the ROG Xbox Ally, an enthusiast-level handheld PC with a whole lot of strings hooked up.
In that very same AMD partnership announcement, Bond’s language centered fairly a bit on themes of seamlessness, cloud gaming, and gaming providers, declaring an intention to make Home windows, not Xbox, “the primary platform for gaming.” For a lot of, this learn as a dedication to Xbox as a broader entity, very similar to how Apple has developed interconnectivity and have parity throughout its varied units. This interpretation is supported by the ROG Xbox Ally which, regardless of its identify, is a handheld PC working Home windows 11, not a miniaturized Xbox Sequence X or S. Understanding this framework is useful when analyzing Xbox’s business strategy, and predicting the place the corporate will go subsequent.
Home windows 11 and Cloud Gaming Will Be Integral for Xbox’s Subsequent House Machine
Final yr, earlier than the official announcement of the ROG Xbox Ally, Home windows Central’s Jez Corden reported that Xbox had internally delayed a long-rumored proprietary handheld, which was allegedly being developed alongside the ROG Xbox Ally. Corden’s report claims that Xbox nonetheless plans to launch this first-party system ultimately, however that the corporate can be centered on optimizing Windows 11 for gaming within the meantime.
The identical report claims that Microsoft can also be engaged on “next-gen Xbox cloud programs,” which appears particularly believable given the corporate’s Play Wherever marketing campaign. This means that the subsequent Xbox will be cloud-focused, maybe constructed extra round community capabilities than native energy. Nonetheless, different intel signifies that on-system energy continues to be a precedence for Microsoft.
Corden would later report that “the subsequent Xbox is actually going to be a full Home windows PC,” and that it is going to be suitable with “third-party shops like Steam, GOG, and Epic.”
The Subsequent-Era Xbox May Launch as Quickly as 2027, AMD Says
In a latest earnings name, AMD CEO Lisa Su commented on the progress of the AMD-powered Steam Machine earlier than bearing on the progress of Xbox’s subsequent console: “growth of Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox that includes an AMD semi-custom SoC [system on a chip] is progressing nicely to assist a launch in 2027.” As others have famous, this does not essentially imply that Microsoft’s subsequent console will launch in 2027, simply that it could theoretically be capable to, per AMD’s estimation.
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The Subsequent Xbox APU Was Probably Leaked
In Fall 2025, YouTuber Moore’s Regulation Is Useless unveiled what he claimed are the specs for the next Xbox’s APU, or accelerated processing unit:
- 144mm² SoC (N3P) + 264mm² GPU (N3C/P) = 408mm²
- Possible 250-350W TDP (estimation, not 100%)
- 68 x RDNA 5 CUs (disabled from as much as 70 CU)
- 4 Shader Engines Whole = 3 x 9 WGP + 1 x 8 WGP
- Every Shader Engine has 2 x Shader Arrays 4) Not less than 24MB L2 cache for the GPU
- As much as 3 x Zen 6 + 8 x Zen 6c with 12MB L3 cache
- 192-bit reminiscence bus with as much as 48GB of GDDR7
- NPU with as much as 110 TOPS @ 6W or 46 TOPS @ 1.2W (2 Energy Consumption Modes)
Like all the time, these types of leaks needs to be taken with a grain of salt—Moore’s Regulation Is Useless has made a lot of predictions up to now, and never all of them have been true. Nonetheless, he did accurately predict parts of the PS5 Professional and Sony’s PSSR upscaling software, which suggests some stage of credibility. He additionally claimed that this APU can be prepared for launch in 2027, which aligns with the official story from AMD itself.
What Does This Data Inform Us Concerning the Subsequent Xbox?
Synthesizing the entire above data, it is secure to say that Xbox can be leaning closely into additional parity between console and PC, creating Home windows 11 as a hub for gaming. One must look no additional than the ROG Xbox Ally to see that that is possible: the hand held is a devoted Home windows system, signaling Xbox’s want to convey extra avid gamers into that ecosystem slightly than get again within the ring with competitor consoles. There’s additionally the truth that the Xbox Windows launcher was updated to incorporate video games from Steam, GOG, and EGS, suggesting an extra want to attraction to the PC crowd.
There’ll virtually actually be one other Xbox, however it most likely will not be like those who got here earlier than it. At this stage, Xbox has little to no likelihood of surpassing Sony and Nintendo by way of console gross sales, so tapping into the substantial international PC market is a a lot smarter transfer, particularly since Microsoft is a pillar of that market already. RAM shortages and economic conditions will probably preclude a 2027 launch for the subsequent Xbox, although. A greater guess can be on a launch close to or after 2030; by that point, Xbox could have additional rebranded itself as a bridge between PC and console gaming.
