More Details on Next-Gen Xbox and New Handheld Revealed
Next-gen Xbox will reportedly be more PC-like, with a “TV-friendly shell” and Windows-based OS.
A new report sheds light on the long-awaited Xbox handheld as well as the next-generation Xbox console. Microsoft has already confirmed that it’s exploring both a handheld console and a next-generation Xbox, though concrete details on the devices have been hard to come by.
That changed recently when Jez Corden spoke about the next-generation Xbox on the Xbox Two Podcast. Apparently, the next-generation Xbox will be more like a PC, but with a “TV-friendly shell” and an operating system that’s in line with Windows. In theory, this should make the next-generation Xbox easier for developers to make games for. Now, in a new report, Corden has expanded on Xbox’s next-gen plans while also revealing more details about the company’s handheld device.
According to the report on Windows Central, the Xbox gaming handheld is planned for release in 2025, and it’s being made in partnership with another tech company, though the partner wasn’t specified. The Xbox handheld is said to have an Xbox guide button and be “unmistakably Xbox,” as stated in the report. It’s believed that the handheld will feature a Windows OS that will include access to Game Pass and Steam, which could be a big selling point for those interested in handheld gaming, but that have yet to pull the trigger on a Steam Deck.
Next-Gen Xbox Has Reportedly Been ‘Fully Greenlit’
The Windows Central report also pulls the curtain back on Xbox’s next-generation console plans. If the report’s information is accurate, Microsoft’s current plan is to release the next-gen Xbox in 2027, with an OS that is “closer to Windows than ever before.” The next-gen Xbox will include “several new controller options” with the controllers themselves apparently able to link directly to the cloud. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is said to have already signed off on the next-generation Xbox, though there’s always a chance that plans could change between now and when the new console is revealed.
There have been concerns that Xbox will move away from hardware as it has become increasingly multi-platform, but it seems fans of the brand can rest assured that it’s not going anywhere any time soon. Between the Xbox handheld that’s possibly releasing this year to the next-generation console supposedly in the pipeline for 2027, there’s a lot to be excited about. The shift to Windows will have its pros and cons, but the possibility that it will open Xbox up to PC storefronts is an exciting prospect. No matter what happens, it will be interesting to see what the future of Xbox has in store.
