Discussion Xbox next speculation

[MrMPFR]

@marees can you please use "quote" instead of quote for article excerpts and other quotes so we can instantly distinguish between that and your own thoughts?

Maybe a demo but not Launch, I think.

Probably price reveal at that time, I guess

They said early 2026.
On second thought GDC 2026 is probably more likely. All gaming journalists and major devs at one venue.
Then on shelves a few weeks later.

 

[marees]

@marees can you please use "quote" instead of quote for article excerpts and other quotes so we can instantly distinguish between that and your own thoughts?

I think I'll indent & use italics where it is an excerpt. That should help to distinguish from my thoughts.

 

[marees]

Why Microsoft needs a next gen xbox

the Xbox Series X Is an Afterthought. So What’s Next?​

Xbox still needs console hardware, but it won't look like anything you've seen before.
By Kyle BarrPublished November 10, 2025

Microsoft makes most of its money by selling services like Windows 11, 365, or Azure to businesses. Xbox is the most consumer-facing brand of its entire product stack. “It’s a bit of a tragic thing,” van Dreunen said. “You’re trying to be the coolest house on the most boring block.”​

​

Xbox is the one piece that doesn’t gel with the rest of Microsoft’s business. That’s why the reported 30% margins would only make sense from somebody who doesn’t comprehend the gaming industry. After all, Xbox could be a new way to shove Windows in front of even more players and fight back against the ever-encroaching Valve.​

​

It’s all about the box. Which means Xbox still needs some sort of hardware to make a case for itself. Based on leaks, the next-gen Xbox, dubbed Project Magnus, will have a powerful custom AMD chip that dwarfs what’s going into the next-gen PlayStation console.​

Valve is coming for Microsoft’s lunch. The xbox team needs to communicate their strategies better to the public. There is now a decent window to strike if they launch next gen in another 1 years time (25th anniversary) & capitalize on the GTO delay. Xbox next could be the best way to play GTO — if they manage to fix the windows-xbox software merge in time by then

Any next-gen Xbox demands a UI that works. In that way, Valve is already far ahead of whatever is happening at Microsoft. Valve’s Linux-based SteamOS software is easier to navigate on handhelds, and it could be coming to more devices like a VR headset or a PC-like console. Microsoft “has always been chasing Valve,” video game researcher and NYU Stern School of Business professor Joost van Dreunen told Gizmodo. It’s a smaller, more agile company run by ex-Microsoft programmer Gabe Newell. Steam—which most developers think is a monopoly—makes so much money, you could consider it a yacht factory for the Valve CEO. It’s not likely to sell out to Microsoft or anybody else any time soon.​

5 Years After Launch, the Xbox Series X Is an Afterthought. So What’s Next?

Xbox still needs console hardware, but it won't look like anything you've seen before.

gizmodo.com

 

[MrMPFR]

I think I'll indent & use italics where it is an excerpt. That should help to distinguish from my thoughts.

#78 looks much better than what I suggested. Thank you.

 

[MoragaBlue]

Valve is coming for Microsoft’s lunch. The xbox team needs to communicate their strategies better to the public. There is now a decent window to strike if they launch next gen in another 1 years time (25th anniversary) & capitalize on the GTO delay. Xbox next could be the best way to play GTO — if they manage to fix the windows-xbox software merge in time by then

Predicting future events in particular game sales is insanely challenging even during the best of times, but, in this case, I think we can assume this new game will sell 25 million units faster than any game in history. I have the over and under at around 5 days.

It's mind boggling to me there are currently 220 million units sold for its predecessor. Perhaps Rockstar isn't interested or Take-Two would veto it, but if I were Sony or Microsoft here, it's worth a shot to land a short time exclusive.

The new specs on the Xbox is interesting. Until now, I've never considered any Xbox hardware simply because you can play them on a PC, which rendered Sony the logical choice as the console for primarily PC gamers. However, if they can manage to make the Win UI less painful (at least for my taste), allow access to my Steam library, it'll surely be considerer for future purchase.

Had someone told me the gaming industry would grow to where it is today--arguably the largest entertainment sector in the world--I'd never have believed it. As such, I think it's so large there's more than enough for the pie to go around. There's a game for literally everyone these days, and I think there's a system for everyone's preferences too. Unlike when I was growing up, I don't think it's a zero sum game anymore.

 

[marees]

..."Powerful experience"...

...But no word of release date or price yet

https://twitter.com/x/status/1990421108508574060

 

[MoragaBlue]

..."Powerful experience"...

...But no word of release date or price yet

https://twitter.com/x/status/1990421108508574060

Timing is everything.

In my view, it's the right time, at least for me. While it's almost time for me to consider moving beyond my current 3080, the catalyst will be a game(s) I consider must plays. On the top of head, they would be FromSoft's new offering and/or Rockstar's--both have enough goodwill with me where I'll buy their launch offerings day one on good faith.

This is where this new Xbox is very interesting. As a potential replacement and competition for my next gaming rig (I had always just built them), if Xbox can, say, pitch me 80% of the performance of of my next $2,000 - $2,500 gaming rig at half the price, we've got a deal.

For me, it's really as simple that, and I'll even endure Windows. Not that I'm an expert, but I think they can market this thing a little better.

 

[marees]

From the horse's mouth:

Microsoft is working on next gen Xbox console(s)

The announcement of the ROG Xbox Allys and Xbox’s partnership with Asus also sparked some confusion over whether Xbox was out of the in-house-made console game. Bond confirms the Xbox team is still hard at work on its next-gen consoles, the follow-ups to the Xbox Series S and X, and there’s even the possibility of internally made handhelds.​

​

“We are 100% looking at making things in the future,” Bond said. “We have our next-gen hardware in development. We’ve been looking at prototyping, designing. We have a partnership we’ve announced with AMD around it, so that is coming. What we saw here was an opportunity to innovate in a new way and to bring gamers another choice, in addition to our next-gen hardware. We are always listening to what players and creators want. When there is demand for innovation, we’re going to build it.”​

Ally Arrives: Xbox President Sarah Bond Explains New Handhelds Steep Price, Prioritizing ‘Windows Experience’ and Next-Gen Console Plans Heading Into 2026

Xbox president Sarah Bond discusses the release of Xbox's Ally handheld device, including the price set by Asus, and progress on next-gen consoles.

variety.com

Via https://thegamepost.com/microsoft-next-gen-xbox-console-development/

Jez Corden's comment (from a month back)

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is "looking forward," to the next Xbox — "We want to do innovative work on the system side, on both console and PC."​

News
By Jez Corden published 29 October 2025
In a new interview, Microsoft CEO offered some rare comments on Xbox's gaming strategy, talking up the new console and musing on the death of the Xbox exclusive.

Is Nadella's confidence a sign that Xbox is on the right path, or is he blissfully ignorant of the risks this strategy might have for Xbox's future? Time will tell, but Microsoft's history with consumer "innovations" is arguably not on Nadella's side.

Satya likes to talk, but his track record for consumer products is weak​

I'm not particularly confident in anything Satya Nadella says when it comes to consumer products. Nadella famously once said he wanted people to go from "using Windows, to loving Windows," and Windows is arguably less popular amongst consumers than it has ever been.​

​

The lofty hardware requirements for Windows 11, glut of data-harvesting telemetry, aggressive bundled apps and services has made the entire Windows platform into a global pariah — at least outside of B2B circles Satya Nadella and shareholders obviously care more about. Satya Nadella seems unaware that PC gamers use Windows because they have no choice, and absolutely not because they love it.​

​

It's in this consumer-hostile gulf that Xbox finds itself adrift, struggling to connect with the audience it spent over 10 years trying to repair a relationship with. Price hikes, aggressive layoffs, ditching all forms of platform exclusivity — it's all engineered to boost those margins Satya Nadella claims will deliver "innovation." What exactly will that look like for customers?​

​

Microsoft has what seems to be a strong vision for Xbox's future. An open Xbox that can run all video games from all storefronts could be the panacea Microsoft needs to maintain some form of differentiation from PlayStation and the inevitable Steam OS console from Valve. There's a huge "if" attached to that vision, though. Xbox faithful today want a console experience first. They don't want to jump through driver issues, use the Task Manager, or connect a mouse and keyboard to access basic functionality.​

https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-is-looking-forward-to-the-next-xbox-we-want-to-do-innovative-work-on-the-system-side-on-both-console-and-pc

 

[MoragaBlue]

Well, I hope this time, he comes through!

With the wall we've hit in hardware improvements, I'm ready for more options. I'm just not buying the GPU performance enhancements via frame-gen. If you want me to pay, I want native and organic 50% improvement at around the same price. If that's unreasonable or unrealistic, fine; my days of the tech upgrades, at least with PCs will have come to end. And, that's ok.

I was eyeing a laptop and suspect it would be on sale for this Black Friday. I had a window to pick up the HP Omen Max running Ryzen 9 & 5080 for about ~ $1,720 with a promo discount. From any perspective, an excellent deal. I passed because of the Steam Machine & this new Xbox, and because the mobile 5080 offers a very marginal improvement over my current 3080, a 5% - 7% improvement. A horizontal upgrade to make my moments of casual TV gaming more convenient is simply not worth $1,800 post tax with newer and more efficient solutions on the horizon.

So, I passed and will see what the Gabecube and new Xbox will offer.

 

[marees]

folks over at VGChartz have shared their latest console sales estimates today (that go up to November), and they suggest that Xbox has sold over two million Series X|S consoles this year.

Compared to 2024, this is said to be a -45.1% decrease on the previous figure of 4.79 million, but that's absolutely no surprise when you consider both systems have received quite significant price increases over the past 12 months.

VGChartz now claims that Xbox has (cumulatively?) sold 34.1 million units worldwide of the Series X and S, compared to 12.4 million for the Nintendo Switch 2, 86.1 million for the PS5, and 152.7 million for the Nintendo Switch 1.

These estimates also suggest that Series X|S console sales have been slowly declining in recent years on a similar trajectory to the original Nintendo Switch. The Switch's decline has been sharper for obvious reasons, but over four million people are still said to have bought a Switch 1 this year.

Latest Sales Estimates Suggest Xbox Sold Over Two Million Series X|S Consoles In 2025

Despite the price increases

www.purexbox.com

 

[marees]

folks over at VGChartz have shared their latest console sales estimates today (that go up to November), and they suggest that Xbox has sold over two million Series X|S consoles this year.

Compared to 2024, this is said to be a -45.1% decrease on the previous figure of 4.79 million, but that's absolutely no surprise when you consider both systems have received quite significant price increases over the past 12 months.

VGChartz now claims that Xbox has (cumulatively?) sold 34.1 million units worldwide of the Series X and S, compared to 12.4 million for the Nintendo Switch 2, 86.1 million for the PS5, and 152.7 million for the Nintendo Switch 1.

These estimates also suggest that Series X|S console sales have been slowly declining in recent years on a similar trajectory to the original Nintendo Switch. The Switch's decline has been sharper for obvious reasons, but over four million people are still said to have bought a Switch 1 this year.

Latest Sales Estimates Suggest Xbox Sold Over Two Million Series X|S Consoles In 2025

Despite the price increases

www.purexbox.com

What are the implications for Xbox next

1. Launch date
2. Launch price
3. Target volumes
4. Agreement with AMD for minimum purchase order (over the lifetime of the console)

 

[MoragaBlue]

What are the implications for Xbox next

1. Launch date
2. Launch price
3. Target volumes
4. Agreement with AMD for minimum purchase order (over the lifetime of the console)

I'm hoping they'll offer some visibility soon. From my perspective, my only fear is that Microsoft may suddenly cancel the venture, since, as it appears to me, they seem to have zero interest in marketing this new console.

As I've mentioned in other threads, I've become quite fond of sim racing, and have begun to build a sim rig. As such, I find the limitations of the PS5 ecosystem too limiting for my tastes, opting instead to switch over to the PC for my sim racing needs, mostly for F125.

I'm hoping and betting the new Xbox will allow for compatibility of my PC racing sim equipment; I mean, it's Win 11 and it should. I would prefer a dedicated PC or Xbox to run my sim rig, because, obviously, I'm not going through the hassle of moving my gaming PC to and fro to play my other games. And, while possible, the prospects of sitting in a racing rig to play a FromSoft game just isn't appealing.

Ordinarily, I'd just build a gaming PC, but, as with everyone else, I'm hit with the DRam shortage. So, I'll bridge the gap and hope the new Xbox will be the solution. Come on Microsoft, just make this one good, eat some of the Ram cost, and you can quit the console market after this series!

 

[marees]

2026 — 25th anniversary of Xbox — is the year Microsoft defines the future for where the Xbox ecosystem is going. They have a lot of exciting things to share this year

Jason Ronald
VP, Next Generation @ Xbox

https://twitter.com/x/status/2006617144868614314

 

[marees]

is magnus expected to have LP cores ?

 

[NTMBK]

is magnus expected to have LP cores ?

Hard to have LP cores if you're cancelled

(I have no insider information, just going off vibes)

 

[marees]

Hard to have LP cores if you're cancelled

(I have no insider information, just going off vibes)

can't cancel magnus

it is the hail mary pass for the xbox division. so many careers depend on it !!!

 

[NTMBK]

can't cancel magnus

it is the hail mary pass for the xbox division. so many careers depend on it !!!

But think of all the DRAM that won't be going into AI datacentres, that doesn't feel like Microsoft

 

[marees]

But think of all the DRAM that won't be going into AI datacentres, that doesn't feel like Microsoft

classic microsoft is the multiple infighting groups pointing guns at each other like in Western

so, yes. you are right that larger microsoft might not like low margin consumer hardware such as xbox but xbox has so many employees & executives — an existential battle of survival for them

 

[Mopetar]

People who chase margin percentages at the cost of all else are fools. Grocery stores operate at 2% margins and will still be here long after Xbox, Microsoft, and many other things aren't.

The people in charge of Xbox should probably go as well as anyone at MS that's trying to treat them like something they fundamentally aren't.

 

[marees]

Next Xbox Console’s Only Difference from a Traditional PC is the Ability to Run Xbox One and Series X/S Games​

A new report by Windows Central provides a lot of details on what to expect from Xbox in 2026, revealing exciting details about the upcoming console. The report shows that the plan to run “full bore Windows” on the next Xbox console has remained the same. Thanks to their partnership with AMD, this console’s interface will be delivered through the “Full Screen Experience” in the Xbox PC app, and Microsoft is hard at work to make the app capable of executing it.

The report says that the main difference between the next Xbox console and a traditional PC is the ability to run Xbox One and Series X/S, allowing players to bring forward their existing libraries to the next-gen console. The Xbox President has also confirmed that the next console will be backwards compatible and will be enhanced with AI. The report also discusses “credible rumors” about an OEM “Xbox” PC in 2026; however, players are asked to treat this information with caution until it is properly verified.

Next Xbox Will Reportedly Feature 'Full Bore Windows'

Next Xbox will reportedly run "full bore Windows" with the 'Full Screen Experience' already available on the app.

insider-gaming.com

​

Xbox in 2026 — What to expect from Team Green this year, and beyond​

Features
By Jez Corden published 4 hours ago
It's an interesting, and somewhat pivotal year for Xbox in 2026. After a somewhat unprecedented year of negative headlines, Xbox has an opportunity to turn it around this year.

I reported last year that the next Xbox will run full bore Windows, and that is still the plan. In partnership with AMD, the next Xbox will utilize the Windows 11 "Full Screen Experience" with the Xbox PC app to deliver its console interface. Microsoft is working on major updates to the Xbox PC app to accommodate this, bringing it more closely in line with what Xbox console players will expect when engaging with a device on their TV, rather than at their desk.​

​

Where it diverges with a traditional PC is in its ability to actually run games compatible with Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Microsoft announced that it's partnering with AMD to enable Xbox games on this PC-like device. Existing Xbox console users' libraries will come forward with them to the new Xbox, as Microsoft continues to commit to backward compatibility in a big way.​

​

I suspect we'll hear more at GDC 2026 about how Xbox plans to modernize its publishing practices to accommodate this new more "open" strategy.​

I've been working through some credible rumors that we could see an OEM "Xbox" PC in 2026, but time will tell whether or not that one pans out.

https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-in-2026-what-to-expect-from-team-green-this-year-and-beyond

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Sounds like Microslop is laying off 5-10% of its workforce, with heavy cuts to XBox rumored.

 

[marees]

Sounds like Microslop is laying off 5-10% of its workforce, with heavy cuts to XBox rumored.

rumours. not confirmed

https://twitter.com/x/status/2008908227589624203

https://twitter.com/x/status/2008981152586248298

 

[ToTTenTranz]

Next Xbox Console’s Only Difference from a Traditional PC is the Ability to Run Xbox One and Series X/S Games​

A new report by Windows Central provides a lot of details on what to expect from Xbox in 2026, revealing exciting details about the upcoming console. The report shows that the plan to run “full bore Windows” on the next Xbox console has remained the same. Thanks to their partnership with AMD, this console’s interface will be delivered through the “Full Screen Experience” in the Xbox PC app, and Microsoft is hard at work to make the app capable of executing it.

The report says that the main difference between the next Xbox console and a traditional PC is the ability to run Xbox One and Series X/S, allowing players to bring forward their existing libraries to the next-gen console. The Xbox President has also confirmed that the next console will be backwards compatible and will be enhanced with AI. The report also discusses “credible rumors” about an OEM “Xbox” PC in 2026; however, players are asked to treat this information with caution until it is properly verified.

Next Xbox Will Reportedly Feature 'Full Bore Windows'

Next Xbox will reportedly run "full bore Windows" with the 'Full Screen Experience' already available on the app.

insider-gaming.com

​

Xbox in 2026 — What to expect from Team Green this year, and beyond​

Features
By Jez Corden published 4 hours ago
It's an interesting, and somewhat pivotal year for Xbox in 2026. After a somewhat unprecedented year of negative headlines, Xbox has an opportunity to turn it around this year.

I reported last year that the next Xbox will run full bore Windows, and that is still the plan. In partnership with AMD, the next Xbox will utilize the Windows 11 "Full Screen Experience" with the Xbox PC app to deliver its console interface. Microsoft is working on major updates to the Xbox PC app to accommodate this, bringing it more closely in line with what Xbox console players will expect when engaging with a device on their TV, rather than at their desk.​

​

Where it diverges with a traditional PC is in its ability to actually run games compatible with Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Microsoft announced that it's partnering with AMD to enable Xbox games on this PC-like device. Existing Xbox console users' libraries will come forward with them to the new Xbox, as Microsoft continues to commit to backward compatibility in a big way.​

​

I suspect we'll hear more at GDC 2026 about how Xbox plans to modernize its publishing practices to accommodate this new more "open" strategy.​

I've been working through some credible rumors that we could see an OEM "Xbox" PC in 2026, but time will tell whether or not that one pans out.

https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-in-2026-what-to-expect-from-team-green-this-year-and-beyond

Despite lots of nay-saying from some people here, the writing for this has been on the wall for over a year. Xbox execs have been hinting on this for a long time.

Magnus will be on a Windows PC initially sold by Microsoft that can sideload Steam and probably any win32 apps. As the gen goes on, Microsoft will probably open the target spec and SoC exclusivity to OEMs so they can make their own xboxes.


I don't know if we're getting Zen6 + RDNA5 hardware on shelves in 2026, but a 2026 reveal sounds very probable.

 

[marees]

Despite lots of nay-saying from some people here, the writing for this has been on the wall for over a year. Xbox execs have been hinting on this for a long time.

Magnus will be on a Windows PC initially sold by Microsoft that can sideload Steam and probably any win32 apps. As the gen goes on, Microsoft will probably open the target spec and SoC exclusivity to OEMs so they can make their own xboxes.


I don't know if we're getting Zen6 + RDNA5 hardware on shelves in 2026, but a 2026 reveal sounds very probable.

magnus = series x2

if microsoft is making a first party version of the series x2 then it makes zero business sense for third parties to make a PC version of the same

what Jez Corden expects is a CHEAPER third party version. which imo is a series S2. There is exactly one candidate for this — the medusa premium

which means: medusa premium will be used by all OEMs for 2 purposes

1. an 'xbox' handheld
2. a series S2 (steam machine competitor)

Microsoft will stick to Magnus (series X2)

 

[ToTTenTranz]

if microsoft is making a first party version of the series x2 then it makes zero business sense for third parties to make a PC version of the same

Why would that be? If it's now a windows PC through and through, just let it be sold by other OEMs that also make windows PCs.

It's pretty much what they already did with the Surface line. They put up a bunch of target specs, developed the software plus some hardware designs and then allowed other OEMs to make identical devices.