Is Windows the Future of Xbox?
Microsoft dropped some new details about its next-generation Xbox, and it sure sounds like the next console will be very similar to a Windows PC. If so, this plan could conceivably lead to Steam on the Xbox.
Xbox President Sarah Bond hinted at big changes for the upcoming Xbox in an announcement on YouTube about AMD's involvement in providing the console's chips. It's not surprising that AMD has a role in the next Xbox, as it's provided hardware for Xbox in the past, but Bond managed to pack quite a few revelations into the short announcement video (below).
Bond kicked off the announcement by revealing a 'strategic, multi-year partnership with AMD' that will include the next generation Xbox 'in your living room and in your hands.'
As she finished that statement, she held her hands the way one would to hold Asus' upcoming ROG Xbox Ally, a Nintendo Switch-shaped portable gaming console running a custom version of Windows. The UI is that of Xbox, but it supports other stores, like Steam. Unfortunately, as Polygon points out, the Xbox Ally only plays Xbox games designed for PC play. Standard Xbox console games get left out.
To cap it off, Bond said the goal was to bring gamers 'an Xbox experience not locked to a single store or tied to a single device.'
'That's why we're working closely with the Windows team to ensure that Windows is the number one platform for gaming,' Bond added.
As we said, that has Steam written all over it in our eyes. Of course, other game stores will also want to get access to the console, but adding the Steam Store to the Xbox would be a huge win for gamers.
It's also worth noting that Bond said the upcoming Xbox hardware would maintain 'compatibility with your existing library of Xbox games.' That statement, perhaps more than any other she made during the video, suggests that Microsoft is determined to be gamer-centric. If the company forced gamers to ditch their game collections…well, Microsoft isn't doing that, so we don't need to imagine the chaos.
The next-gen Xbox should arrive sometime in 2027. The launch of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally was expected for 2025, so if that's any indication, we'd say development of the next Xbox is likely on track.
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