Xbox's next-gen console will provide a “very high-end” experience for gamers, according to company president Sarah Bond. Not much is known about the next-gen Xbox console at this early stage, but according to Bond's latest statements, the development of the ROG Xbox Ally could be the key to understanding Microsoft's mindset when creating its next console.
It's been nearly five years since the Xbox Series X and its more budget-friendly counterpart, the Series S, made their worldwide debut, beating the PlayStation 5's race to market by just two days. Estimated sales figures for the Xbox Series X|S as of February, released by publisher Take-Two Interactive, were around 30 million units sold, putting it behind the PS5 and only about a fifth of the Nintendo Switch's sales. That third-place performance and some other business decisions at Microsoft had led to rumors that Xbox was getting ready to exit the console market.
Xbox President Says Next Console Will Provide “Premium” Experience
But those rumors were squashed following reports on October 20 where Bond confirmed that Xbox's next-generation console is in development. A day later, Bond appeared on Mashable's YouTube channel. Her appearance seemed primarily intended to discuss the ROG Xbox Ally, but the conversation also veered into the next-gen console's development. When asked if she could provide any additional information at this early stage, Bond was reserved in her response but replied that the upcoming console will provide players with “a very premium, very advanced curated experience.”
Bond also hinted that Xbox's current strategy with console development may be hidden in the design of the new gaming handheld. Promising a handheld that can run both Xbox and PC games on its portable screen through cloud gaming and let gamers pick up where they left off on their not-so-mobile devices, the ROG Xbox Ally started selling out within hours of opening its pre-orders. While it's been a very popular purchase, it's also faced criticism in categories ranging from performance issues to the difficulty of managing a gaming system that relies on Windows 11.
The ROG Ally X is priced at $999, and the interviewer expressed some concern that Xbox's recent pricing could potentially limit availability for some gamers. Bond tried to quell concerns by noting that the ROG Xbox Ally is priced at $400 less than the Ally X, and says that Xbox still wants to offer options for gamers with different budgets. Still, with the recent $10 monthly price increase to Game Pass Ultimate and the increase in prices for the Xbox Series X and S, Bond may have more to do to attract budget-conscious gamers.
- Stamp
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Xbox / ROG
- Operating system
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Windows 11 Home
- Processor
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AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor
- Show
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7″ IPS, 500 nits, 16:9, 120Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection
- Resolution
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FHD 1080p
- Original release date
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2025
Source: Variety
