Microsoft may stop making Xbox hardware in the coming generations, passing the task to AIBs like ASUS, MSI, Lenovo, and Dell. According to Windows Central editor Jez Corden, the next Xbox console will be like pre-built PCs with a heavy “Windows slant.” Like NVIDIA’s Founders Edition graphics cards, these devices will be the baseline for third-party manufacturers to innovate and improve upon.
Previously, it was rumored that the Microsoft Surface notebook team is leading the development of the next-gen Xbox. This makes sense as gaming consoles like the Xbox Series X and the PS5 feature low-power laptop-grade hardware rather than their full-blown PC counterparts.
Considering how much Microsoft has been investing in the Xbox software ecosystem, including the Windows side, we’ll likely see the next Xbox run Windows 12 (or whatever it’s called). This should allow it to run PC games via Steam and Epic Games using the DX12 API.
If these rumors are true, the next-gen Xbox will essentially be a midrange, portable PC. For Microsoft, this is the realistic next step. Consoles are usually sold at a loss, and the manufacturers profit off the games sold on them. Taking a step back from the risky hardware side, and focusing on the lucrative software segment matches what Xbox has been doing lately.
Buying more and more game studios (and shuttering some), building the GamePass subscription across Xbox and Windows, and Cloud-based gaming services such as the xCloud all point to this being a very likely scenario.
