Summary
- The next Xbox could be a hybrid of PC and console, running Windows and focusing on gaming services.
- The path was suggested by the president of the Xbox division, Sarah Bond, during an interview.
- Microsoft has already partnered with AMD to create chips for a portfolio of devices, including a console.
The future of Xbox remains one of the most controversial (and mysterious) in the industry, but Microsoft is already starting to shine a light on that path. Yesterday (10/21), the division’s president, Sarah Bond, suggested that the next generation of video games could abandon tradition and approach a hybrid between console and PC.
The statement was given by Bond in an interview with the channel Mashablein which he talked about the new Xbox Ally X, a portable console that sold out just hours after pre-sales opened. When asked about rumors that the next Xbox would be more like a PC, the executive subtly agreed.
“I can say that you are right, that the next generation console will be a very premium, very sophisticated and curated experience,” he said. “You’re starting to see some of our thinking in this portable [o Ally X]but I don’t want to give everything away.”
Current strategy indicates new directions
As noted by the The VergeBond’s speech reinforces the thesis that the next Xbox will be “powered by Windows” and will not be “tied to a single store”. The mention of Ally X as a glimpse of the future may be evidence of the focus on flexibility.
This apparent change in strategy connects to several recent moves by Microsoft. As we reported in Technoblogthe company deals with weak performance in hardware sales and, at the same time, growth in the services sector, driven by Game Pass.
In June, Microsoft entered into a “multi-year” partnership with AMD. The agreement provides for the creation of chips for a “portfolio of devices”, in addition to a console. Microsoft has also invested heavily to strengthen the PC ecosystem.
In September, for example, the company released an update for the Xbox app on Windows that unifies libraries from other stores, such as Steam and Epic Games, centralizing the player experience. However, it reformulated the Game Pass and announced an aggressive adjustment, in which it practically doubled the value of the Ultimate plan in Brazil.
Change of focus
The Xbox has gone through at least two phases in the last decade. Back in 2013, Xbox One was trying to turn the platform into a full-fledged home entertainment hub. This included live TV and the late Kinect. Without much success, the company adjusted course with the Series X/S, using Game Pass as the center of the strategy.
From then on, the subscription service, which grew 13% in the fourth fiscal quarter of this year, began to focus on Microsoft’s major launches and reinforced the idea that the Xbox stopped being a console and became an ecosystem. In addition to the ROG Xbox Ally portable video games, the company has already launched the app for mobile devices, TVs, virtual reality glasses and even cars.
Source: https://tecnoblog.net/noticias/xbox-proxima-geracao-pode-ser-hibrido-de-pc-e-console/
