Windows Central has fresh information about the new Xbox which, according to AMD, will be launched next year, and the console is still, according to the Microsoft newspaper, a Windows 11 box, but with a TV interface.
The Xbox becomes a Windows PC with an Xbox interface
Therefore, the newspaper believes that we must look at Xbox Ally as an example of how the console will work; i.e. with Windows at the bottom with an Xbox interface at the top. Microsoft is naturally going to disable processes you don’t need, to maximize performance, i.e. like on Xbox Ally. At the same time, they are clear that the company has a job to do to ensure that Windows does not pop up when you least want it. So there are a number of things that need to be resolved here in terms of the interface, updates, etc.
At the same time, gamers get the power of Windows, which could make “Xbox 2027” (who remembers Xbox Media Center?) a media streaming favorite: “You’ll be able to go out to full Windows, much like you can go out to Linux on the Steam Deck, and run virtually any program or accessory you can think of.”
Windows Central paints a picture of a console that can do everything a Windows machine can do, be it coding, music production and the ability to run all Steam games and games from other ecosystems – i.e. like a PC in the living room with an Xbox interface. This has been the dream of Microsoft since the Xbox One, if not earlier, but it is only now that they seem to be daring to take the leap. It will be exciting to see if Microsoft optimizes for more than gaming on the TV screen.
The target is 2027, but Microsoft is said to have been surprised by the AMD boss’s revelation
Windows Central reveals that Microsoft was surprised by AMD CEO Lisa Su’s revelation that everything is in place for a 2027 launch – this is the Xbox team’s goal, the paper reveals, but there is no warrantyas of February 2026:
“Microsoft has not yet fully and fully internally committed to a firm 2027 launch window for the next-generation Xbox platform, as much depends on improvements in Windows 11 and other factors. Microsoft’s Windows and Xbox teams are working together more closely than ever to shape the operating system for a more polished, console-like experience on Xbox. Therefore, they also do not force themselves to stick to a specific and strict deadline. You can look at 2027 as a ‘best case’ scenario, but the most important goal for Xbox is to deliver a complete and polished experience.”
This we know:
- The next Xbox will in practice be a Windows 11-based gaming PC in console form
- Full backwards compatibility with Xbox One, Series X|S and older Xbox titles
- TV-friendly interface with the option to switch to “full Windows” and use the machine as a normal PC
- Can run Steam, Epic Games Store and other PC stores
- AMD is making a specially adapted SoC with the code name “Magnus” – planned launch in 2027
- Close collaboration between the Windows and Xbox teams
- Microsoft expects several types of Xbox consoles in the coming years
- OEM partners such as ASUS will sell their own Xbox machines in various price ranges
- The first-party Xbox will be the “baseline” model, while partners can create more expensive and cheaper variants
- Greater focus on “Xbox Everywhere” with cross-save, cross-play and Play Anywhere
- New AI features and hardware-accelerated features are first tested on the Xbox Ally platform
- Price not yet determined due to component costs and market situation
- Gen-9 consoles such as the Series S/X will continue to be supported long after launch