Next-gen Xbox confirmed in development, following rumours Microsoft would stop making consoles

Xbox president Sarah Bond has confirmed that Microsoft is working on “next-gen hardware” following rumors it was no longer being developed for consoles.

Bond spoke to Diversity on the occasion of the release of the new ROG Xbox Ally handheld console, but he was also asked about the future of Xbox.

“We are 100 percent looking forward to doing something in the future,” Bond said. “We have new generation equipment in development. We do prototyping and design. We have a partnership with AMD that we announced, so that's coming. What we saw here was an opportunity to innovate in new ways and give gamers another choice to complement our next generation hardware. We always listen to what players and creators want. When there is demand for innovation, we are going to create it.”

There have been rumors on social media that Microsoft will no longer develop console hardware. Rumors appeared shortly after Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price increase.

This is definitely due not only to the upcoming release of a new portable device in collaboration with Asus, but also to Microsoft's own campaign slogan: “This is Xbox” and a mission to make its games available on multiple platforms.

However, this statement from Bond confirms that the hardware is still under development.

“We want to make sure that people have a choice,” Bond told Variety. “We want to make sure that we have strong players who want the latest innovations, who want to push the boundaries of what is possible, for the most demanding players. And then if anyone is looking for PC gaming on the go, they're a casual gamer, they're a gaming enthusiast, then there's Xbox Allys for them. By giving people multiple choices so we can really meet people where they are.”

Nevertheless, high price for a laptop computer suggests it's not particularly suitable for casual gamers either.

Eurogamer ROG Xbox Ally X review Tom Orry states that it is “an impressive portable in an Xbox mask.” Meanwhile, Eurogamer's Alex Donaldson Instead, they yearn for the “distant heyday” of Xbox.

There's definitely been some confusion lately regarding Xbox's messaging and speculation about its future, which hasn't been helped by the Game Pass price hike that followed. several game cancellations from the back mass layoffs.