In addition to refreshed Xbox consoles coming later this year, Microsoft has confirmed that it is working on a very powerful next-gen Xbox.
The confirmation about new Xbox hardware came during the Xbox podcast, where news about plans to bring some Xbox exclusives to PS5 and Switch was also shared. Here is what was teased about new consoles:
- "We've got more to come. There’s some exciting stuff coming out in hardware that we’re going to share this holiday. We're also invested in the next-generation roadmap. What we’re really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation, which makes it better for players and better for creators and the visions that they’re building," Xbox president Sarah Bond said.
According to a leak last year, the refreshed Xbox hardware coming later this year includes a disc-less Xbox Series X with 2TB of storage. Additionally, Microsoft will launch a refreshed white Xbox Series S with 1TB of storage.
The 2024 all-digital Xbox Series X. Photo: FTC v. Microsoft document
The 2024 Xbox Series S. Photo: FTC v. Microsoft document
The next-gen Xbox
Regarding the next-generation Xbox, which is touted to be "the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation," details were also leaked last year, indicating a hybrid platform that combines the power of the console and cloud.
Apparently, Microsoft is contemplating a shift from x86 to ARM architecture, necessitating emulation, streaming or porting of all existing games for ARM compatibility. The company is also gearing up for next-gen ray-tracing and super-resolution, which requires a powerful Neural Processing Unit (NPU).
A higher, more consistent 60-120fps frame rate in general would be nice, but staying at 4K 120Hz will not be a headline-grabber. It is possible under the HDMI 2.1 standard to support 4K at 240Hz using lossless display stream compression (DSC). Manufacturers already have 240Hz 4K TVs waiting in the wings to take over from the current pseudo-240Hz TVs that deliver 240Hz at half the vertical resolution.
The leaked documents from last year revealed that Microsoft is targeting a 2028 launch window for the next-gen Xbox console(s).
Microsoft's vision for the next-gen hybrid console. Photo: FTC v. Microsoft document
