In a recent video published by Fortune, Xbox President Sarah Bond spoke about the next-generation Xbox console, which has long been a point of debate and contention amongst gamers. Some believe Xbox is getting out of hardware, while die-hard fans are fully preparing to stump up the cash for whatever comes next.
Sarah Bond insists that the next Xbox will offer a ‘powerful experience’ that will be portable and accessible across multiple platforms, going with players ‘everywhere they go’.
The Next Xbox Has Big Promises in Store
The team at Xbox recently confirmed a new Partner Preview event, scheduled to drop later this week. This is where upcoming games will be showcased, particularly those that have a tie-in with Xbox in some way. To that end, we know that the likes of Tencent, IO Interactive, and THQ Nordic will show up at the event.
Beyond the games, Xbox is still looking to whatever hardware comes next. It might be a good couple of years before it surfaces, but the next-generation Xbox is shaping up to be something special, if the likes of Sarah Bond are to be believed.
In a recent interview with Fortune, Bond explained what’s happening with the future of hardware at the Microsoft-backed gaming firm:
Hardware is absolutely core to everything that we do at Xbox, because we know that our most valuable players, the people who love Xbox, love the hardware experience. That’s why we’re working on our next-generation hardware.
It’s going to be a powerful experience, and one that also enables people to take their library with them, and that’s what’s really important here as well, is that we know while people want to play their library absolutely on the console, they also want to play it on PC or stream it on the Cloud.
And so, the Xbox experience starts with the console but then gives something to people that they can experience across all screens if they choose to, bringing their library, their community, their identity, and the store with them everywhere they go.
(Thanks to The Verge for the spot)
Here’s the full interview:
It sounded pretty scripted, but that’s part and parcel of being the most prolific spokesperson in the company (perhaps on par with Phil Spencer, of course). The way Bond kept repeating ‘Xbox Experience’ has me thinking that the next console already has a name picked out… (shifty eyes emoji).
What do you think the next Xbox will look like? How will it serve you as a gamer? Let me know what you’re thinking on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Gaben has a new $500 million yacht
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
More from Grant Taylor-Hill
That’s nice and all, but why would I buy that over a steam machine.
Why would you choose a steam machine that has the power somewhere between a series s and a ps5. All people did was complain that those consoles were too weak.
Valve just announced their new console and Sony “Well, we’re gonna put a little emphasis on streaming starting with expanding the Portal. Problem is, it requires the top tier subscription plan, which I don’t know how that’s actually doing.
Still, with Valve announcing its new console and PlayStation pulling back on PC and more confidence in their hardware (like they should have been doing all along as Nintendo isn’t at all worried and Valve threw their hat in the console space (sort of ring), Valves new machine is essentially the next Xbox and likely cheaper, Xbox won’t take the loss on because Microsoft won’t let them. But, yeah, PlayStation supposedly is smart enough to block Xbox’s efforts to steal their software to sell an Xbox console. Valves move may be the nail in the coffin
There’s nothing about Xbox that would make me rush to buy the new console coming out. The price point they are looking at its not worth the squeeze.