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What We’ve Been Waiting For…
Xbox has put an end to troubling speculations by teasing fans about its future hardware ambitions. Reliable insiders and leakers recently sparked a stir when they stated that Xbox could become entirely multi-platform. Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, vowed to solve the issues in an Xbox Business Update stream that was made public on February 15.
The Xbox Business Update event addressed the rumors square on. It stated that Xbox is aiming to bring four of its titles to other platforms, but no specific games were named. It was hinted that two of the games were live-service titles, while the other two were minor games. It was also said that there are no plans to bring major titles such as Starfield or the Indiana Jones game to competitor platforms.
The Line That Surprised Us All
When the new Xbox multi-platform rumors first surfaced, many people were concerned that it meant Xbox would exit the hardware market. Fortunately for Xbox enthusiasts, this is not the case. Xbox President Sarah Bond promised that “there’s some exciting stuff coming out in hardware that we’re gonna share this holiday,” and that the business has also invested in the next generation of consoles. “What we’re really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation.”
Xbox Has Big and New Plans for Its Next-Generation Hardware
“What we’re really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation.“
Unfortunately, Xbox fans will have to wait for additional information about the company’s upcoming hardware plans. However, court filings and insiders have revealed the existence of a new Xbox controller with characteristics comparable to the PS5’s DualSense, which may be what Bond was alluding to when she suggested the holiday 2024 announcement. Alternatively, the holiday 2024 announcement might be for the reported digital-only Xbox Series X console, though this remains to be seen.
It’s also likely that Xbox is hinting at the rumored Xbox handheld system, which will be introduced this Christmas season. Rumors have circulated that both PlayStation and Xbox are considering producing their own Steam Deck-style handheld devices.
2026 We’re Waiting On You!
These devices would not be comparable to classic handhelds such as the Nintendo DS or PSP because they would not include exclusive titles, but they would potentially allow users to carry their PlayStation and Xbox libraries with them. Fans should wait for an official announcement on that front before getting overly enthused about the likelihood of an Xbox portable.
The next-generation Xbox is rumored to be released as early as 2026, but official plans have yet to be confirmed. For the time being, Xbox enthusiasts can take comfort in knowing that another hardware generation is on its way.
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