Microsoft is said to be readying the Xbox series S/X successor for its launch in 2027. The current plans for the next generation of Xbox include a premium successor to the Xbox Series X.
According to a Windows Central report, Microsoft will release its next-generation Xbox Series X/S successor in two years. The company is rumored to have a handheld Xbox, which is set to launch later this year.
Microsoft intends to launch next-gen Xbox Series in 2027
The report indicated that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella greenlit the Xbox Series X/S and that it is now “fully in production.” The publication suggested that the new console was a premium successor to the Xbox Series X.
🎮 Microsoft to launch a next-gen Xbox console in 2027 and introduce a new handheld Xbox device this year!
🚀 Next-gen Xbox (2027)
✔️ Premium successor to Xbox Series X
✔️ Production already underway
🎮 Xbox Handheld (2025)
✔️ Codenamed "Keenan"
✔️ Developed with PC gaming OEM… pic.twitter.com/FqzHx7XWEV— shin07_07 (@shinO7_O7) March 11, 2025
The report emerged after Microsoft assured its fans that it had not abandoned the console market. The company said it was planning a new Xbox to deliver the largest technical leap seen in hardware generation.
Xbox president Sarah Bond confirmed that Microsoft Xbox has hardware plans for both the short and long term. The gaming and tech firm later confirmed the president’s statement, saying that it had an innovative multi-year hardware roadmap and would include more console and controller options in the next hardware.
Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer also emphasized that the company is committed to Xbox hardware. He praised the hardware team’s work, saying he was proud of what they were doing this year and in the future. The gaming boss revealed they were thinking of creating hardware that sold to gamers due to its unique aspects. He expressed his excitement about the project’s capacity to unleash the team’s creative ability.
The report revealed that Microsoft had other Xbox hardware plans due this year. The company is reportedly working with an unspecified PC gaming OEM to launch its branded handheld in 2025. The handheld is said to be codenamed Keenan, and its features are similar to those of Xbox.
Next-gen Xbox to resemble a micro-form Windows-powered PC
Insider Jez Corden had earlier suggested that Microsoft would produce a PC but with a TV-friendly shell. He assumed that the next Xbox would be a micro-form Windows-powered PC. He added that it would be compatible with peripherals and inputs.
The insider revealed that it is likely to have a switchable mode that switches between a gaming interface and a general Windows layout. Corden added that the new systems would support backward compatibility and allow older games to be played on the hardware.
Phil Spenser hinted that the company had a roughly designed Xbox handheld in 2017. He fueled more speculation in 2024 when he suggested the project had been revived. The Xbox boss said that a handheld device would still be a “few years away.”
The report suggested that Microsoft was internally developing its internal gaming handheld. It clarified that the handheld would be separate from this year’s partner machine and highlighted that it was due for release alongside its Series X/S successor in 2027.
Microsoft’s VP of Next Generation said that the company planned to combine Xbox and Windows experiences for its PC gaming handhelds. He added that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), also known as third-party hardware manufacturers, will design the handhelds. He also implied that the next-generation Xbox will support third-party storefronts such as Epic Games Store, Steam, and GOG.
The company announced Xbox exclusives like Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition and Forza Horizon 5 for PS5 this year. Microsoft added that Bethersda’s Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which launched on Xbox series S/X and PC last year, would arrive on Sony’s console in 2025. Microsoft also revealed its first-party title, Doom: The Dark Ages, which would launch on PS5, PC, and Xbox Seris S/X in May.
Spenser said he would not rule out any Xbox-exclusive game from moving to PlayStation.He added that Bethesda’s sci-fi RPG could also be released on PlayStation. He said that Game Pass was an important component of Xbox and keeping games off other platforms was not part of their path.
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