Microsoft plans to release the next generation of Xbox in 2028, setting an ambitious goal for the future.
Despite the changes that may have occurred in the plans, it is reported that a meeting was set for May 2022 to kick off the process, which was attended by high-ranking company executives, such as CEO Satya Nadella, CFO Amy Hood, and head of gaming Phil Spencer, according to Axios.
Excerpts of the audio recordings from the meeting were released as part of a legal battle between Microsoft and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The commission is seeking to investigate Microsoft's business practices and antitrust policies in light of the Xbox maker's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard .
During the meeting, a Microsoft executive asked the gaming team if the next Xbox console would be different from the standard hardware specifications.
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“One of the great things about consoles is that they provide a platform for developers. The Game Development Kit was great,” said Anuj Gosalia, corporate vice president of successful gaming experiences.
Another question was: “Do you plan to keep this model or introduce a more flexible/powerful Windows one?”
“Having already begun this journey with Xbox One and Xbox One X, we are advancing the system into the S/X series,” said Kevin Gammill, corporate vice president of gaming systems.
In the future, our flexibility must be even greater, while also giving creators the ability to leverage unique hardware capabilities.
Discussing the expected release time of the new hardware, statements made to the UK's Competition and Markets Authority last year reported that Microsoft lawyers indicated that the release of the next generation of consoles is expected by autumn 2028 at the latest.
Microsoft and Sony released their current-generation consoles, Xbox Series X/S and PS5 respectively, in November 2020.
Although companies update their consoles every 3-4 years, the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have affected the market for new products. Supply issues have likely affected the planned schedule of mid-cycle hardware upgrades.
In June, Xbox chief Spencer said that a potential mid-cycle upgrade for the Series X was not a priority for Microsoft, a statement he reiterated in interviews published last month.
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He also expressed his view to IGN that we are “at the end of the beginning” of the current console cycle. “So we need to allow developers to reap all the benefits of this hardware and make the most of it.”
According to legal documents published in July, Microsoft predicted that Sony plans to release an upgraded PS5 console, known as the PS5 Pro.
Source: videogameschronicle.com
