A report says Microsoft's next Xbox will run Windows, blurring the line between PCs and consoles and making latest version of Xbox Ally X a model of what Microsoft hopes to achieve in games.
Windows Central, which has installed several good sources inside the console space, claims that the next Xbox will run Windows with Xbox's full screen mode on top of it. Given that Microsoft has already established a close working relationship with AMD, these chips should also be inside the console, and backward compatibility will be provided starting with the Xbox 360, the site says.
Microsoft hasn't directly stated that the next Xbox will run Windows, although the company hasn't tried to hide it. In June, Xbox President Sarah Bond said that The Xbox team worked closely with the Windows team “to ensure that Windows becomes the number one platform for gaming.”
“It's been almost two years since I became president of Xbox, and one of the first things I noticed was that Windows is the No. 1 platform for AAA games, but we could do a lot more like Xbox with Windows, which was completely untapped around the world,” Bond added in October, joined by Pavan Davuluri, president Microsoft on Windows and devices, in a joint interview. recorded by Yahoo Finance.
Think of the next Xbox as Microsoft's answer to the Steam Deck. Valve's portable device runs Linuxwith game overlay; The next Xbox will run on Windows with Xbox's own full screen experience. Microsoft is burying Windows deep underground, but the company also said it's just loads a stripped down version of Windows many aspects of Windows performance are simply excluded from the gaming experience.
However, Windows Central sources seem to believe that you can take advantage of this full Windows experience if you want. “Similarly, Xbox Full Screen mode will allow you to go full Windows if you want and run competing stores like Steam, the Epic Games Store, Microsoft's own Battle.net, Riot Client, and basically anything else you want,” the site says. “Indeed, you can run Adobe CC or Microsoft Office on your next Xbox if you want.”
As for the actual equipment, this is also in question. Microsoft has put a lot of effort into trying to convince people that “This is Xbox,” a slogan applied to consoles, TVs, phones, the ROG Xbox Ally X and other devices. This means that games can be played on a variety of hardware as long as Microsoft's cloud gaming feature is enabled.
Of course, there is a difference: gamers can play games in the cloud, but many prefer to run their own games locally, minimizing input lag and lag.
For now, the ROG Xbox Ally appears to be the model for the next Xbox, based on our data. PDA's own practice testswhat Bond continues to say in subsequent interviews, as well as Windows Central's own reporting. Last week Bond spoke to Mashablecharacterizing the next Xbox as a premium version and neglecting the need for exclusive games tied to a specific console. Until now, no one has been able to say or even guess how much the next generation Xbox will cost, including Windows Central.
Naturally, features like automatic super resolution and any frame generation technologies AMD has to offer will almost certainly be used as well, notes Windows Central.
When will we see the next Xbox? Windows Central believes this will happen in 2027, which seems reasonable. A 2027 launch will allow Microsoft to slowly reveal the title, console capabilities, price, etc. – the drip-drip-drip of news that consumers hate but keep interested in the next Xbox.
We've always wondered when Microsoft would release a private-label gaming PC. Maybe it will be so.
