If you’re a regular reader, you’ll tell us that we’ve been saying this a lot for a while now… But we have to admit that there are more and more clues as to where the PC and console worlds are heading, at least from Microsoft.
This week, Sarah Bond, who heads up Microsoft’s Xbox division, spoke to Mashable about the recent Xbox Ally X handheld console, dropping subtle hints about Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox console in the process. The subject obviously shifted to the future Xbox, as rumorsonce hinted at the console’s demise. Sarah was asked about speculation that the new Xbox console would be closer to a gaming PC than a traditional console. Bond seemed to approve of the idea. I can confirm that you’re right: the next console will offer a superior, extremely refined and high-end experience,” said Sarah Bond. You can already get a glimpse of our vision with this mobile console (The Rog Xbox Ally), but I’d rather not reveal everything.
Conviction (or prediction): Windows will be at the heart of the next Xboxes
There’s nothing extravagant about the idea that the next Xbox will resemble a PC. In fact, it already does – you just have to look at its design. However, Microsoft’s main challenge is to free the Xbox “experience” from a device. The logic is to distribute its dearly acquired content everywhere. And the weapon to set all this to music is Windows.
We can already guess the howls of some. Early feedback on the Rog Xbox Ally shows progress towards making Windows a truly gaming-optimized OS…But there’s still a long way to go, obviously. Nevertheless, the same Xbox boss stated earlier this summer: […] we’re working closely with the Windows team to make Windows the number one gaming platform.
It’s a conviction that grows stronger every day as we look at the way the younger generation uses games. The figures show that paying more than €1,500 for a PC is no longer a barrier. Hardware considerations have become secondary for this generation, but the need to upgrade, aesthetically and even technically, is still there. Finally, the deal with Asus is a first step. Other Xbox “partners” should follow. In any case, the head of Xbox herself is announcing the biggest technical leap ever seen in a generation of consoles. One thing is certain: you’ll have to pay more.
