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Microsoft has been overhauling its gaming division, generating a great deal of anticipation and speculation among gamers and the gaming media. The changes range from internal restructuring—resulting in employee layoffs—to strategic decisions, such as the closure of some game studios.
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The company also surprised everyone recently by releasing some Xbox-exclusive titles on competing platforms (Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves, Pentiment, and Grounded)—an unexpected move in the industry.
New rumors now suggest that the next console in the Xbox family may hit the market before the PlayStation 6. Although details are scarce and shrouded in secrecy, it is clear that Microsoft has ambitious plans for the gaming industry.
Xbox Could Become a Traditional PC
In recent days, rumors circulating on social media and specialized forums suggest that the Xbox might become more like a traditional PC. These speculations gained traction after Microsoft mentioned the possibility of integrating well-known digital stores, such as Steam and Epic Games, directly into its consoles.
There are also rumors about the development of a portable Xbox, which would put Microsoft on par with devices such as the Asus ROG Ally and the Lenovo Legion Go. With this, the company plans to strengthen and grow adoption of already successful services, such as Game Pass and Cloud Gaming.
Microsoft will leave the Xbox in the hands of other manufacturers
Jez Corden, a journalist with inside information on the Xbox, made some intriguing statements on X/Twitter. According to him, Microsoft plans to expand the Xbox brand by integrating it with other companies in the next generation of consoles. Corden suggests that this new console could serve as a benchmark for future devices, just as the Surface Pro 11 did for hybrid PCs with artificial intelligence (AI).
This business model is comparable to that of Android smartphones, where Google develops a base system used by other manufacturers, who then customize it. Another example is the graphics card market, where AMD and NVIDIA release base GPUs, and manufacturers create their own models with modifications, such as more VRAM or more efficient cooling systems.