Microsoft working on a new Xbox: Here’s everything we know so far

Microsoft recently confirmed that it is working on a next-gen Xbox. From the mid-gen discless Xbox Series X to the next-gen Xbox, here's everything we know so far about the gaming giant's plans for the future.

Next Gen Xbox | Xbox Series X refresh | Xbox

Microsoft might launch a disc-less version of the Xbox Series X later this year. (Express Photo)

Xbox head Phil Spencer recently confirmed that Microsoft is not planning to exit the console business, contrary to popular rumours. The tech giant also announced a multi-year roadmap, including a console upgrade that the company says will be the “largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation.”

With the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S now over three years old, many are waiting to see what the next generation of Xbox will offer. While Microsoft planned to keep its plans under wraps, documents accidentally leaked by the US Federal Trade Commission during Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision gives us an idea of what to expect from the upcoming console.

What do we know about the next gen Xbox?

Fanboys have been anticipating the next generation Xbox for quite a while now, but most of these were rumours. But in a special edition of the Official Xbox podcast, Xbox president Sarah Bond hinted that the company was working on a new Xbox that may be the much-rumoured disc-free Xbox Series X.

As for the next generation Xbox, the leaked FTC documents hint that Microsoft is already working on a new console, which may be a combination of a cloud and a client gaming platform.

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The Microsoft documents suggest that the upcoming Xbox will be “optimised for real-time gameplay and creators” that will surpass the performance capabilities of client hardware alone.

A leaked presentation slide shared by The Verge also gives some detailed insight into Microsoft’s entire next-generation Xbox roadmap. The report states that the tech giant will start working on the design sometime in 2024, with development kits coming sometime in 2027. The publication also revealed that the first hybrid cloud games will be under development until 2026.

But apart from the fact that the next Xbox will be significantly better than the current model, there is little known about the upcoming console’s design or specs. Going by the trend, it is highly likely that the next Xbox will be powered by an AMD chipset.

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The leaked documents also suggest that Microsoft is planning to launch the next-gen Xbox sometime in 2028 compared to the company’s usual seven-year upgrade cycle.

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The Xbox Series X refresh is said to offer 2TB of internal storage. (Image source: Microsoft/FTC)

Disc-free Xbox Series X: Price and design

The documents leaked by Microsoft also reveal the release date and design of the disc-less Xbox Series X (codenamed Brooklin). It looks like the upcoming mid-cycle refresh will be cylindrical instead of a cuboid.

Moreover, the upcoming version is said to feature up to 2TB of internal storage compared to the current gen Xbox Series X, which comes with 1TB of storage. On the storage front, it is said to offer a USB Type-C port on the front and support Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6E.

While other specs are speculated to be the same, the mid-cycle refresh is rumoured to draw less power. The upcoming disc-less Xbox Series X is expected to cost $499, which is the same as the current iteration.