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Next Xbox with Multiple Variants: Reference Design from MS & 3rd Party Models From AIBs?

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.

Xbox next Gen

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.

Next-Gen Xbox console

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.

Areej Syed

Processors, PC gaming, and the past. I have written about computer hardware for over seven years with over 5000 published articles. I started during engineering college and haven't stopped since. On the side, I play RPGs like Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Divinity, and Fallout. Contact: areejs12@hardwaretimes.com.
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