In 2024, everyone was burying Ubisoft; in 2025, the public was digging the grave of Microsoft's gaming division. And for good reason: insiders recently claimed that Microsoft management had allegedly frozen plans for the next-generation Xbox. However, media reports indicate otherwise.
Windows Central shared information about the embattled company's latest console. Here are the highlights:
The next-generation Xbox will be a hybrid PC based on a Windows shell, very similar to the Asus ROG Xbox Ally.
The operating system will work in such a way that users won't need to interact with Windows; by default, the device will function as a regular console (though advanced users can use it as a computer).
The new Xbox will offer access to Steam, GOG, Battle.net, the Epic Games Store, and other PC client libraries, allowing for the playing of platform-exclusive games like World of Warcraft and League of Legends.
The new AMD processor will be able to run all Xbox Series games natively, as well as backward-compatible Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox games. Microsoft's new technology and fixed hardware configuration will reportedly overcome well-known issues in PC gaming, such as lengthy and tedious shader compilation.
The company also plans to make its multiplayer service completely free (currently, online play requires a subscription), though these plans are subject to change.
Neither version of the Xbox series will be abandoned after the next-generation Xbox is released: games will continue to be produced for them for years after their release.
There's no talk of a release date for this hybrid "high-end" console yet. Remember, Microsoft's current competitors aren't Sony and Nintendo, but TikTok and the film industry. So, it's clearly in no rush.
