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Microsoft confirms it’s working on a new next-gen Xbox console – here’s what we know so far

The company isn’t giving up on making Xbox consoles just yet

Alex Lee

Monday 26 February 2024 14:37 GMT

We’ve been keeping our ear to the ground to bring you the latest Xbox rumours (The Independent)

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The Xbox community has been in meltdown over the past couple of weeks, after reports that Microsoft would be bringing Xbox-exclusive games to the PS5 and Nintendo Switch, sparking speculation online that the company was about to cease making hardware in the form of consoles.

While the rumour that Microsoft will be taking Xbox games out of exclusivity was indeed true – there are, for now, just four yet unnamed games – Xbox fans can breathe a sigh of relief because, no, Microsoft isn’t giving up on Xbox hardware.

In a special edition of the Official Xbox Podcast published on 15 February, Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s head of gaming, and Sarah Bond, president of Xbox, revealed that the company was working on a new Xbox console. “There’s some exciting stuff coming out in hardware that we’re going to share,” Bond said.

While that’s likely the heavily rumoured disc-free Xbox series X – a mid-generation launch – the company has also put to rest any speculation that hardware beyond series X is dead. “We’re also invested in the next-generation roadmap. What we’re really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation,” Bond added.

In the past, Spencer has even hinted at the development of an Xbox handheld device. So, what could a next-gen follow-up to the Xbox series X look like? And when could it launch? We’ve rounded up all the rumours below.

When could the next Xbox console launch?

Rumours about the next Xbox have been swirling for years. But the furthest we’ve come to confirmation from Sony came on 15 February, when Bond said the company would be sharing news about new hardware “this holiday”, meaning at the end of the year.

This is unlikely to be a next-gen Xbox, but a mid-gen release. A disc-free Xbox series X, codenamed Brooklin, was accidentally revealed in an FTC document following its Activision acquisition court dealings in September 2023. According to the leak, the disc-free console update will be released in October 2024.

As for the next-gen Xbox the company is already working on? The FTC documents also revealed a potential release date for the next-generation Xbox post-series X, a hybrid cloud and client gaming platform.

According to The Verge, a presentation slide detailed Microsoft’s entire next-generation Xbox roadmap. Hardware design would begin in 2024, with the first developer kits arriving in 2027, “and the first hybrid cloud games being produced from 2024 through 2026,” the publication wrote.

What could the disc-free Xbox console look like?

As well as the release date of the disc-free Xbox series X, the FTC document also revealed details about the design and specs of the machine. It looks to be a cylindrical console, rather than a cuboid like the Xbox series X. According to the documents, it will feature 2TB of internal storage (1TB more than the series X), a USB-C port on the front and support for wifi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. It will also, reportedly, draw less power.

Other than that, it’s pretty much the same machine, just without a disc drive, and with a new design.

What about the next-gen Xbox console?

Besides telling us that the next-gen Xbox will deliver the “largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation,” little is known about the design or specs of the next Xbox console.

Following the news that some Xbox games would lose their exclusivity, Spencer gave more hints about the next-gen console when speaking to The Verge: “I’m very proud of the work the hardware team is doing, not only for this year, but also into the future,” Spencer told the publication. “[We’re] really thinking about creating hardware that sells to gamers because of the unique aspects of the hardware. It’s kind of an unleashing of the creative capability of our hardware team that I’m really excited about.”

Is one of those unique aspects a handheld device? While Spencer remains tight-lipped, the executive has been liking posts on X on the subject. In early February, Spencer liked a Windows Central post that suggested an Xbox handheld was inevitable. He also liked a post from The Verge’s Tom Warren saying Microsoft needed to step in to make the handheld experience better.

In the same Verge interview, Spencer said: “I’m a big fan of handhelds. I’m a big fan, but nothing to announce”, but he also suggested that Windows could be made better on the current handheld gaming devices.

How much could the next Xbox cost?

As well as the general design and specs of the next mid-generation Xbox (the one code-named Brooklin), the FTC document also revealed the price of the Xbox series X follow-up. According to the document, Brooklin will cost $499, which is the same price as the current Xbox series X. That means it is likely to cost £479.99 in the UK.

While we have some indication on a next-gen Xbox’s roadmap, we haven’t seen any rumours or leaks on how much the next-gen console will cost. We’ll be updating this article as more leaks and rumours come to light.

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Xbox series X: Was £479.99, now £409.99, Amazon.co.uk

If you haven’t got an Xbox yet, and don’t care for the rumoured mid-generation model, the Xbox series X is currently on sale. It’s the most powerful gaming console Microsoft makes. Large and cuboid but completely silent, it matches the performance of a high-end gaming PC – loading games in a snap and booting up menus in a fraction of a second. Xbox Game Pass is also worth every penny, as the subscription service offers access to hundreds of games for a flat monthly fee.

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