After a tumultuous week over at team Xbox there is still hope for its hardware future. According to industry insider ‘MAGG’, the next-gen Xbox is still targeting a 2026 release, and will see a “multi-SKU’ launch comprised of two separate consoles – one “high-powered” and one portable.
Speaking on the XNC Podcast, MAGG details that the more powerful of the two consoles will be “a box under the TV, à la Series X, the other one – the cheaper SKU – is going to be a dockable console, à la Switch.” It’s a major switch-up from previous generational line-ups, but as the likes of Microsoft and Sony rush to improve their standings in the mobile market, a return to portable consoles seems a given.
Though details are thin on the ground, host ‘Colteastwood’ surmises MAGG is referring to the portable Xbox that is rumored to be capable of both Cloud gaming via touchscreen, as well as playing the best games natively using in-built controls – something we hoped PlayStation’s Portal handheld had the capability for when it launched last year.
While there are no further specifics at this time, it’s certainly interesting to see that Microsoft could still be going ahead with next-gen consoles, despite previous reports indicating its poor performance in the console hardware market had “spooked” the tech giant’s top brass.
Regardless of the validity of MAGG’s information (first spotted by AltChar), it’s currently hard to see where a new high-powered Xbox would fit into Microsoft’s strategy. If the rumors surrounding it going multi-platform are true, then players will naturally flock to the PS5, and later the PS6 for their under-the-TV needs.
Whether or not the upcoming Xbox business update promised by Phil Spencer will shine a light on this remains to be seen, though we expect some of these murmurings to be put to bed.
For more of the latest Xbox news, check out all the games potentially headed for PS5 including Gears of War, Indiana Jones, and more. If that’s not enough to fulfill your needs, then read up on why FF14 is going to cost more on Xbox than it does on PlayStation.