Each new generation of consoles is an opportunity for the manufacturer to prepare for the next one. And while the Xbox Series X|S celebrates its first three years in 2023, Microsoft is already preparing a sequel.
No wonder new Xbox consoles are in the works.
It’s no surprise that Microsoft is working on the next Xbox consoles. Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft’s gaming department, already mentioned this topic quite clearly last year.
In the long term, we will supply the package. We’re thinking about new devices, new playstyles, new partnerships, new things of our own. We are also spending more time thinking about mobile devices and what mobile gamers need.
Today it is again one of the documents presented during the hearings related to the takeover of Activision by Microsoft, in which we find some details. In its 277-page interim report, the UK antitrust regulator cites documents it has been able to access.
Two documents dated September 2022 and November 2022 discussing plans for next generation consoles show that [secret]. slide describes [secret]. Another slide is about [secret].
Although the sensitive parts in the public document have been censored, the CMA makes it clear that at least two documents submitted by Microsoft mention the American company’s performance projections for its next consoles.
Real new consoles or an intermediate generation?
In fact, it’s likely that Microsoft is working on at least two generations of consoles at the same time. The former is the “true” next generation of consoles expected after 2026, while the latter is a “mid-gen” console.
A mockup of what a smaller all-digital Xbox Series X could be
Recall that the Xbox One was released in 2013, the Xbox One S three years later, and the Xbox One X four years later.
Since the Xbox Series X|S was released in 2020 and will blow out its third candle this year, it’s pretty easy to imagine that the next Xbox console or consoles could arrive no later than next year, in 2024.
A classic enough cycle where we see what Microsoft has prepared in the past, but which could also be damaged due to the pandemic. Indeed, the launch of the latest Xbox and PS5 consoles was done in a very special way while the effects of COVID were still widely felt.
Parts shortages, rising costs of raw materials and transportation… all of this led to almost two years of stock shortages for Sony and Microsoft, and it’s possible that plans could change along the way. Count on Xboxygen to keep a close eye on it all.