Microsoft is keeping its next-gen Xbox console plans under wraps, but it has suggested it will be ultra premium hardware.
The company has confirmed — as recently as earlier this month — that it still plans to follow the Xbox Series X and S with a next-gen console, and has announced an agreement with AMD to make it happen.
Microsoft has promised “next-level performance, cutting-edge graphics, breakthrough gameplay, and unmatched compatibility,” and said everything it’s working on will be “fully compatible” with users’ existing Xbox game library.
But how much will it cost, and just how powerful will it be? In an interview with Mashable, Xbox president Sarah Bond talked in vague terms about what Microsoft is going for with its next-gen console, but did suggest it will be a premium device.
“The next-gen console is going to be a very premium, very high-end curated experience,” Bond said. “You’re starting to see some of the thinking we have in this handheld [ROG Xbox Ally], but I don’t want to give it all away.”
That’s a reference to the recently released ROG Xbox Ally X handheld, which costs $1,000. (In another interview, Bond said this and the less powerful, $600 ROG Ally are ultimately Asus-made handhelds — and because of this, Asus set the price.)
So, Xbox fans are now wincing at the thought of how expensive the next-gen console will be, particularly in the context of recent price rises to Xbox Game Pass and the Xbox Series X and S.
Xbox Games Series Tier List
Xbox Games Series Tier List
The cost of being an Xbox fan has been a hot topic in recent months. After announcing a jump to $80 for its games due out this holiday, Microsoft back-tracked to stick with $70 for the likes of The Outer Worlds 2.
But it’s worth noting how much the Xbox Series X and S cost today, which perhaps gives us an idea of where Microsoft might go when the next-gen rolls around. In September, Microsoft increased the price of the Xbox Series X and S as follows:
- Xbox Series S 512GB: $399.99 (up $20 from $379.99)
- Xbox Series S 1TB: $449.99 (up $20 from $429.99)
- Xbox Series X Digital: $599.99 (up $50 from $549.99)
- Xbox Series X: $649.99 (up $50 from $599.99)
- Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Special Edition: $799.99 (up $70 from $729.99)
Earlier this year, Microsoft was reported to be targeting a 2027 release window for both its next-gen Xbox and a Xbox handheld. At the time, it was said that the next-gen Xbox would be more like a PC than any Xbox before it, and would support third-party storefronts such as Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG.
Prior comments from Bond have backed this suggestion up. “This is all about building you a gaming platform that’s always with you, so you can play the games you want across devices anywhere you want, delivering you an Xbox experience not locked to a single store or tied to one device,” Bond said.
“That’s why we’re working closely with the Windows team, to ensure that Windows is the number one platform for gaming.”
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
