Despite the fuss, Microsoft could have two new Xbox consoles in the pipeline

First, the rumors of Sea of Thieves and Hifi Rush may be going onto different consoles, then all people went ape over the potential of Starfield appearing on PlayStation 5 (regardless of roundly slating it when it got here out), after which the stone continued gathering moss, By the tip of yesterday Xbox staples comparable to Gears of Battle and Halo had been going to PlayStation too, Microsoft was pulling out of consoles and leaving gaming to Sony. Xbox was useless.

Simply one other day on the web.

Xbox head honcho Phil Spencer then introduced that there could be a ‘enterprise replace’ subsequent week which appeared ominous however, in all actuality, might be a response to the media storm of the final couple of days.

Someplace in the course of this would be the reality as ever, after getting filtered out the histrionic “I’ll by no means purchase one other Microsoft product” that has washed over Reddit.

Equally now, countermeasure rumors have surfaced on an Xbox podcast that Microsoft, relatively than pulling out of the console market, truly has two new machines within the pipeline for 2026, together with a handheld Nintendo Change (however extra seemingly Steam Deck) competitor, in addition to a brand new ‘conventional’ Xbox console.

If that is so then Spencer is unlikely to substantiate the existence on the Xbox broadcast, however will certainly double down on Xbox’s dedication to its {hardware} homeowners. To brazenly state something aside from that would appear unlikely as it might hit gross sales of present Xbox inventory. It’s not going to occur.

Trying on the console rumors although the hand-held is one that might undoubtedly shake the market. The Steam Deck has been a hit story for Valve, and you’ll think about if anyone was able to placing a handheld PC collectively that might stream and play Xbox Sport Move video games, it might be Microsoft. The rumor continues that the Microsoft Floor staff is engaged on the hand-held, which might even be dockable for large screenplay, and this could make lots of sense.

The hand-held rumor has been round for a couple of weeks however there appears to be extra meat being added to the bones by individuals who might be within the know.

The opposite console if not an Xbox Collection refresh could be there to finish with any new Sony machine so would undoubtedly must be subsequent technology.

At this level, it’s all simply noise and it’s unclear whether or not something will probably be any extra obvious by the point Spencer subsequent leaves the stage.

Featured Picture: Microsoft Xbox

Paul McNally

Gaming Editor

Paul McNally has been round consoles and computer systems since his mother and father purchased him a Mattel Intellivision in 1980. He has been a outstanding video games journalist for the reason that Nineteen Nineties, spending over a decade as editor of widespread print-based video video games and pc magazines, together with a market-leading PlayStation title revealed by IDG Media.

Having hung out as Head of Communications at knowledgeable sports activities membership and dealing for high-profile charities such because the Nationwide Literacy Belief, he returned as Managing Editor in command of giant US-based expertise web sites in 2020.

Paul has written high-end gaming content material for GamePro, Official Australian PlayStation Journal, PlayStation Professional, Amiga Motion, Mega Motion, ST Motion, GQ, Loaded, and the The Mirror. He has additionally hosted panels at retro-gaming conventions and might recurrently be discovered guesting on gaming podcasts and Twitch exhibits. He’s obsessive about 3D printing and has labored with a number of main manufacturers up to now to create content material

Believing that the reader deserves truly to get pleasure from what they’re studying is an enormous a part of Paul’s ethos in relation to gaming journalism, elevating the websites he works on above the norm. Attain out on X.