Latest news with #JezCorden
Metro
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Xbox next gen handheld cancelled in favour of PC gaming claim sources
Microsoft's plans for a first party Xbox handheld have been cut short according to multiple sources, but new hardware is still on the table. During the Xbox showcase last week, Microsoft revealed an Xbox handheld made in partnership with Asus, but it's been known for a while that this isn't the only portable device in development at the company. Microsoft has discussed several times how it is working on prototypes for a handheld device, which is currently 'a few years out'. While it was never explicitly stated it was assumed this device was part of Xbox's plans for the next generation. However, a recent report claimed Microsoft has 'sidelined' this handheld, to prioritise improvements to gaming performance on Windows 11. While this didn't rule out a first party Xbox handheld in the future, a new source now believes it has been scrapped entirely. According to The Verge, Microsoft has 'essentially cancelled' its own Xbox handheld in order to focus on its 'new software platform' – presumably something that can be used on multiple devices, with rumours suggesting Microsoft will encourage other hardware manufacturers to make Xbox-branded consoles in the future. This has prompted some conflict among insiders. Windows Central's Jez Corden has stuck by his original 'sidelined' claims in a post on X, writing: 'Many believe that it has been cancelled, but Microsoft still 'aspires' to do it from what I've heard. 'I think in reality it has been functionally cancelled, because what product 'on hold' has ever returned from the dead? We'll see.' Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. You might be wondering what the difference is, but the ROG Xbox Ally doesn't actually run Xbox console games natively, only PC titles. Microsoft has an initiative called Xbox Play Anywhere, where you also get access to the PC version if you buy a game on Xbox, but this only applies to a select number of titles. In other words, while the ROG Xbox Ally is often described as an 'Xbox handheld', it's essentially a portable PC with Xbox features. In recent years, Microsoft has pivoted its vision for Xbox into a multi-platform entity led by its Game Pass subscription service. This has been emphasised in Xbox marketing, which largely downplay its own Xbox Series X/S consoles. More Trending While these reports of a cancelled handheld might bring into question Xbox's plans for the next generation, Microsoft has publicly teased its next console on several occasions, with promises of the 'biggest technological leap ever in a generation' (thought to be a reference to AI). If Microsoft does release another console, potentially in 2027, this new vision for Xbox as a service across multiple devices raises the question of whether it could be the company's last – especially if it underperforms like the Xbox Series X/S. For now though, we'll have to see if the ROG Xbox Ally can surpass Valve's Steam Deck in the handheld PC arena when it launches later this year. Although considering Vale's device has only sold around 4 million units worldwide, it's difficult to imagine the ROG Xbox Ally having a significant impact. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Sony talks PS6 and next gen plans with hint at new portable console MORE: Where to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 in the UK right now MORE: The Witcher 3 rumour says new DLC is on the way but it's not a full expansion
Engadget
30-05-2025
- Engadget
We might not be getting that handheld Xbox for some time
A lot of people (not least Engadget 's own Sam Rutherford ) have been asking Microsoft to make an Xbox-branded handheld for a long time. And it looked for a while like we might be getting exactly that in the not-so distant future. But Microsoft's priorities have reportedly shifted to improving the widely criticised performance of Windows 11 on existing third-party PC gaming handhelds. In an exclusive report, Windows Central claims that a dedicated Xbox handheld system, which could have launched in 2027 alongside the successor to the Xbox Series X, isn't the company's main area of focus right now, even if it remains keen on the idea. An internally developed handheld, for which Windows Central 's Jez Corden says he has seen a number of different codenames, is not currently being worked on, and he adds that no layoffs have taken place as a result of the strategic shift. While a native Xbox device might be some way off, the report makes clear that Microsoft is still very much active in the handheld market. A third-party console that it has been working on with ASUS, codenamed "Project Kennan", is still targeting a 2025 launch. It's likely this device, which could be equipped with AMD's Z2 Extreme chip, will ship with an improved Windows 11 experience better suited to a controller interface. The software's awkward integration in early iterations of PC handhelds like the Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally has been a big problem, and it's partly why people are so excited about the SteamOS experience no longer being exclusive to the Steam Deck. The Lenovo Legion Go S started shipping with SteamOS running out of the box this week, the first handheld not made by Valve to do so.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Xbox Next could introduce a secret weapon to bring it back to the fight
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Quick Summary Microsoft is reportedly working on its next console, although recent rumours of a 2026 release have been dismissed by a couple of industry experts. It is tipped to be a PC in a "TV-friendly shell" too, which would give it a significant advantage when it comes to games development. There have been countless rumours on Microsoft's plans for future consoles of late, with some suggesting it'll ditch the home machine and concentrate on a Nintendo Switch 2 / Steam Deck rivalling handheld instead. Some even believe that we'll never see another console from the software giant, with the Xbox brand solely focusing on game releases and the cloud instead. However, industry expert Jez Corden, of Windows Central, has put forward another theory – that the next-gen Xbox (lovingly called Xbox Next, for now) could actually be a PC in a living room friendly shape. Speaking on The XB2 podcast, he and host Rand al Thor 19 discussed Xbox's possible future plans and explained that while next year is a target too soon, there's every likelihood that the next Xbox could arrive the following year as part of a strategy rethink. "I think the next Xbox is coming out in 2027 and devkits will go out next year," speculated Rand. This was in response to a "leak" posted last week that claimed next year's Call of Duty will launch on a new Xbox console, and that it was being developed using full devkits. However, that's "There is no Xbox devkit right now," countered Corden. "That developers have already got the next-gen Xbox devkit is just not accurate. "[But] assuming that the next Xbox is Windows-based, you could spec out a kind-of devkit that targets those specs. The whole idea of the next Xbox is that it's going to be a PC in essence, but with a TV-friendly shell that also has a specific set of specs in mind. "So developers will be building for a PC in a way, so will know what the specs will be and optimise for it." Whoever is right, it seems insiders and experts believe there will definitely be a follow-up to the Xbox Series X, even though Microsoft has been trounced in the console wars for the last two generations. And that, if there is an Xbox handheld on the way, it'll be joined by a "TV-friendly" machine. By making it more of a PC in essence could also ensure third-parties develop for it in significant numbers – after all, they'll likely already be building games for the platform by default anyway. We might just have to wait a bit longer for it.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Halo: The Master Chief Collection Coming to PS5, Says Industry Insider
Playground Games just announced Forza Horizon 5 is coming to PS5. While it isn't groundbreaking that a first-party Xbox game is heading to PlayStation, it is surprising Microsoft is bringing one of its premier franchises to Sony's gaming platform. More surprising still, it seems Microsoft might be bringing its incredibly popular first-person shooter to PS5. A recent tweet from Okami Games asked audiences a simple question: 'Halo on PS5 is really happening, isn't it?' As mentioned, Forza is widely considered one of Xbox's key franchises alongside the likes of Halo and Gears of War. The tweet calls this trio the 'big three,' which is a pretty apt name considering how much they represent Microsoft's gaming brand. According to Windows Central's Jez Corden, the answer to the proposed question is yes, Halo: The Master Chief Collection is coming to PS5. No new information was given, but it seems there is potential for John-117 to bring his fight to a PlayStation platform sooner rather than later. Numerous rumors surrounding the Master Chief's arrival to PlayStation have been swirling for quite some time now. Corden had mentioned Halo would be heading to Sony's gaming platform earlier last year. He has also claimed other Xbox first-party games, including Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 and Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, would inevitably make it to PS5. Others insiders have mentioned Halo: The Master Chief Collection going multiplatform. A recent episode of the Nate The Hate Podcast claimed the game would come to PS5. Like any rumor, take this with a grain of salt. While it may have been true that Halo: The Master Chief Collection was coming to PS5 at the time an insider was told, it doesn't mean that is necessarily true today. The post Halo: The Master Chief Collection Coming to PS5, Says Industry Insider appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.
