Despite venturing into publishing on other platforms and the handheld space, Microsoft remains committed to next-generation Xbox hardware. Xbox president Sarah Bond revealed that the company, alongside AMD, have entered a new multi-year partnership to “co-engineer silicon across a portfolio of devices, including our next-generation Xbox consoles — in your living room, and, in your hands.”
“At Xbox, our vision is for you to play the games you want, with the people you want, anywhere you want. That’s why we’re investing in our next-generation hardware lineup across console, handheld, PC, cloud, and accessories,” said Bond. Which sounds like the company is still pursuing a handheld Xbox, despite rumors of its shelving.
Bond added that the two companies are “advancing the state of the art in gaming silicon to deliver the next generation of graphics innovation to unlock a deeper level of visual quality and immersive gameplay and player experiences enhanced with the power of AI. All while maintaining compatibility with your existing library of Xbox games.”
To that end, it wants to create a platform that’s “always with you” for playing games “across devices and anywhere you want.” The other interesting bit revolves around “delivering an Xbox experience designed for players” that isn’t “locked to a single store or tied to one device.” This ties into rumors of the next-generation Xbox letting you install Steam and the Epic Games Store.
“That’s why we are working closely with the Windows team to ensure that Windows is the number one platform for gaming. The next generation of Xbox is coming to life. And this is just the beginning. We can’t wait to show you what’s next.”
While the partnership itself isn’t surprising – AMD chipsets power both the Xbox Series X/S and PS5 (and the rumored PS6 handheld) – Microsoft’s plans appear to go beyond new hardware. When it will be revealed remains to be seen, so stay tuned for updates.
In the meantime, the ROG Xbox Ally is launching this Holiday season with rumors indicating a launch in late October. Though pricing is allegedly yet to be decided, the Xbox Ally will reportedly cost $499 while the Ally X retails for $799.
