Feature: Xbox’s Next-Gen Vision Could Transform How We Look At Consoles In The Future

I’ve been reflecting a lot on the upcoming Xbox console lately and all the rumors circulating about it – suggesting it may be more Windows-oriented, heavily focused on cloud and AI technology, and might even feature support for Steam.

It’s uncertain how accurate these predictions are, but I believe it’s a fairly safe assumption that when the new Xbox console arrives, it will differ significantly from the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S systems we have become accustomed to over the past five years. How could it not? Xbox (or “Microsoft Gaming”) is currently pursuing a vastly different vision.

The years 2020 and 2021 now feel like a different era altogether. Certainly, PC Game Pass was just beginning and Xbox Cloud Gaming was just launching, yet the spotlight was rightly on the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S – including features that have since diminished, such as backward compatibility and FPS Boost. At that time, Microsoft wasn’t aggressively promoting itself as a third-party publisher or talking about “every device being an Xbox” like it does today.

Everything changed after the major acquisitions of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard. The overall perception of Xbox as a brand transformed significantly. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I do think it indicates that Xbox has evolved considerably. It’s on a new path now. The next consoles may adopt a vastly different form as a result.

I’ve mentioned before that I believe the Xbox One era served as a testing ground for the Xbox Series X and S in various ways – features like Xbox Game Pass and backward compatibility emerged during the Xbox One generation but truly came into their own as the newer consoles were introduced. Unsurprisingly, those elements have also reshaped our current perceptions of consoles – just look at how Sony incorporated backward compatibility with the PS5, and how the Switch 2 was essentially compelled to include it (because not including it could have been catastrophic!).

Now, we might be anticipating an even more significant shift with the forthcoming Xbox console. To begin with, Xbox is gradually diminishing the concept of console exclusives. Sure, PlayStation (and Nintendo) are clinging to them for now, but if Xbox continues on this trajectory and succeeds, Sony’s position will inevitably be challenged in the future. This may sound far-fetched, but here’s what Moon Studios CEO Thomas Mahler recently stated on the matter:

Simply put, the economics have changed. Creating exclusives for one platform that sells around 50-70 million units made sense when games cost 5, 10, or 50 million to develop. Nowadays, games can cost 100-150 million or more to produce, so unless you’re fortunate enough to be the market leader, it’s not feasible to limit your potential audience.

Considering the significant investment required to create the AAA titles that Sony and Microsoft have been known for, you’re likely not doing yourself or your audience any favors by restricting gamers to a specific platform. Especially when you can no longer guarantee that your platform will be THE platform.