News Microsoft plans a Steam Machine competitor this year

[marees]

maybe an Intel Panther Lake based NUC ??

zen 6 with RDNA 5 is possible but AMD may not have the drivers ready for new features of RDNA 5 🙁

Microsoft could reveal its OEM Xbox PC this year according to 'credible rumors'​

News
By Demi Williams published 8 January 2026
More rumors of an Xbox PC hybrid have emerged

while Windows Central has heard "credible rumors", it cautioned that "time will tell" whether this reveal will pan out.

• Microsoft could unveil new hardware this year, according to Windows Central
• The publication says it's heard "credible rumors" that suggest that an OEM "Xbox" PC could be revealed in 2026
• Windows Central cautioned that "time will tell" whether this reveal will happen

---

A new report suggests that Microsoft is planning to unveil the first look at new Xbox hardware this year, which would include its OEM Xbox PC.

According to Windows Central, there's a chance we'll see more "Xbox" branded OEM hardware in 2026 that will take advantage of the Xbox Full Screen Experience on Windows, like the recently released Xbox Ally.

The publication claims that it's been "working through some credible rumors" that we could see Microsoft unveil an OEM "Xbox" PC this year, despite the company's poor Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S sales in 2025, but didn't divulge any further details about this hybrid device's features.

https://www.techradar.com/gaming/xb...box-pc-this-year-according-to-credible-rumors

 

[SteveGrabowski]

So is this going to be a lot more expensive than the Steam Box? Because Microsoft isn't going to get a penny of the game sales when everyone buys off Steam.

 

[EXCellR8]

Slapping the Xbox logo on a glorified PC is just sad... but we knew once Xbox exclusives (which were few and far between already) were no more that we'd eventually end up here. Xbox brand was on top of the gaming world back in the 2000's, and I wouldn't consider the current state to be even a shadow of that today. Imho it's all about the IP's, and there hasn't been a good one in at least a decade.

Oh well, at least their controller is still a fan favorite.

 

[ToTTenTranz]

So is this going to be a lot more expensive than the Steam Box? Because Microsoft isn't going to get a penny of the game sales when everyone buys off Steam.

Steam hardware (Deck, Gabecube, Frame, etc.) isn't subsidized either, so it will be more expensive if it has more expensive hardware.

I could see Microsoft selling a small PC with e.g. a Strix Halo 388 with 24 or 32GB RAM which would run faster than the Gabecube while being $100-200 more expensive.


Microsoft's biggest problem isn't the hardware and how fast they could adopt it. It's how much people are starting to look away from Windows for PC gaming. For now, it's mostly niches and tech reviewers / influencers, but if the movement gains momentum, then it might spell real trouble for Microsoft.

 

[marees]

I could see Microsoft selling a small PC with e.g. a Strix Halo 388 with 24 or 32GB RAM which would run faster than the Gabecube while being $100-200 more expensive.

strix halo would be very costly right ? atleast relative to panther lake ?? or will that also be costly because the GPU tile is made in TSMC ?

 

[WelshBloke]

So it's just a pre built PC with an Xbox logo?
How is this different to every other pre built PC that comes with Windows?
The excitement about the Steam machine is that there isn't an option to buy a pre built with Steam OS.

 

[marees]

more coverage


New Xbox Hardware Is Reportedly Set To Arrive In 2026

https://twitter.com/x/status/2008976954058277362

Keep in mind that the next Xbox platform is said to be a "premium" experience running Windows, albeit with the feel of a console, thanks to features like Xbox Full Screen Experience. It's hard to imagine the next Xbox not arriving with FSR 4, AMD's upscaling equivalent to NVIDIA DLSS and Intel XeSS, which is so far only available on RDNA 4 hardware but will continue with RDNA 5.

Did AMD just hand Intel the gaming handheld market?

Rumors suggesting AMD will stick with RDNA 3.5 graphics in anything other than "premium" products don't bode well for the handheld market.

www.windowscentral.com