Apparently, we’re getting another Xbox console sometime in the near future, which will do more than the current model. As the long-running trend of console exclusives is largely over, based on Halo’s upcoming release on the PS5 next year. Apparently, Microsoft is doing a slight pivot from its long and aging business model for its gaming console.
Based on a report from Windows Central, it will actually be more like a PC gaming machine, as it can play your PC and Xbox library. The next-gen Xbox won’t be locked into a single store and would run Windows. The new console will borrow the ROG Xbox Ally’s Xbox Full Screen Experience for a console-like UI with the option to access Steam, Battle.net, and Epic Games Stores. The most interesting part of the report is the end of the Xbox Live paywall for online gaming.
Xbox president, Sarah Bond, already described the next-gen console as a very premium, curated experience, and put some of that thinking into its Xbox handheld. So you can expect Microsoft to charge over $1,000 for its next console — especially with the ROG Ally costing about the price of the current Xbox. With the subscription model gone, expect to get hit with the hefty price tag in the beginning and only there.
Based on the current complaints about the bugs plaguing the ROG Xbox console, Microsoft has a ton of work to do on the software side before this can successfully come into fruition. Also, what about access to the GeForce Now store? And how much is too much for a premium price tag?
We’re definitely getting ahead of ourselves based on a report; however, this does sound like an interesting approach to a next-gen console.
