The Xbox Series X launched in 2020 as a technical marvel: the world’s most powerful console, innovative Quick Resume features, and a Game Pass ecosystem that promised unparalleled value. Outside of the games themselves, it felt next-gen. But challenges soon emerged: a post-pandemic supply shortage, a middling start for their first party, low hardware sales, big third-party games skipping the platform, concerns about Xbox‘s sudden multiplatform push, tone deaf “This is an Xbox” marketing campaigns, studio closures, game cancellations, price hikes and a strategy that oscillated between console, PC and cloud with none of them ever reaching their full potential. Xbox appeared directionless—a potential powerhouse searching for focus.
This is where Microsoft‘s rumored next-generation console (which I will be shortening to NeXbox) could make a splash. According to recent Windows Central reports, this is no ordinary Xbox—it’s a premium Windows 11-based gaming PC overlaid with a seamless console interface. It promises full backward compatibility for your current (and future) Xbox console library, including backwards-compatible titles across four generations. It will also include AI-driven upscaling such as Auto Super Resolution, the elimination of paid online multiplayer, and native support for PC storefronts like Steam, Epic, and Battle.net.
If (and it’s a big if) Xbox can flawlessly execute their vision across the board, they have a chance to turn all the woes of this generation into a home run. Here are five ways that the next-gen Xbox can be a dominant force like never before.
1. The Best of Console and PC in One Powerful Device
Imagine powering on your next-gen Xbox and jumping into couch co-op with a controller. It delivers the familiar console experience, complete with a controller-friendly dashboard and no Windows in sight—as long as that’s the experience you want. If you want to expand your experience, Switch to a full desktop, and you unlock all the capabilities of a Windows PC: productivity tools, emulation, extensive modding, access to every major storefront, and robust streaming options with programs like OBS or Streamlabs.
Do you want the perks of a PC without dealing with the hassles and troubleshooting? This may be the perfect answer. It’s the ideal fusion: console ease meets PC versatility, appealing to casual and hardcore players alike.
2. No Need to Worry About Games Skipping the Platform
One of Xbox‘s longstanding vulnerabilities? Developers like Square Enix, among other Asian developers, prioritize Sony, Nintendo, and PC while overlooking Xbox’s smaller audience. Steam integration completely changes that: most big (and small) titles launch on PC. Even if there’s not a native Xbox port, players don’t have to miss out and can purchase directly via the Steam app.
With storefronts like Epic, GOG, and Battle.net included, NeXbox players won’t have to worry about massive hits like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Black Myth: Wukong, which were delayed on Series X|S—missing the platform. Former PlayStation exclusives like God of War and Spider-Man, which typically arrive on Steam within a year of their PS5 launch, join the fold seamlessly as well. This definitely softens the blow of Xbox‘s multiplatform transformation. The platform evolves into a comprehensive hub, attracting PC audiences and resolving Xbox‘s core third-party challenge overnight.
3. Play Anywhere (For Real This Time)
Xbox Play Anywhere has offered a promising but limited selection of cross-buy titles. Their cloud service is also very limited and locked behind a paywall, even for your owned games. The NeXbox has the chance to achieve true unification. Your entire library of console and Xbox PC games can finally be available natively on one device.
If they really want to make a statement, they could make every next-gen Xbox game effortlessly compatible between your NeXbox, PC, Cloud, and maybe a future Xbox-developed handheld. And please, no more limited xCloud support. No more cloud behind a paywall for owned games. The entire Xbox library needs to be cloud-compatible going forward. One unified library. One cohesive Xbox ecosystem. Seamless continuity for multi-device users.
4. Free Online Multiplayer – A Key Differentiator
Paid multiplayer, a holdover from Xbox Live’s early days, has long felt mismatched with Xbox since its move to supporting PC back in 2015. Xbox PC players got to play all online games without the need for a subscription, while Xbox console players were taxed. With the next-gen Xbox, Microsoft really doesn’t have a choice but to get rid of it. With the NeXbox essentially being a PC, it would be very hard for Xbox to justify charging for online play, especially when they could just go to Steam and play the same games online without a subscription.
However, this could end up being a key differentiator for Xbox, as I doubt PlayStation or Nintendo will stop their online play subs anytime soon. For the Call of Duty, FIFA, and NBA 2K only players, this could be what pushes them over to Xbox, as they’ll save up to $80 annually. The main concern is that Xbox would just need to market this properly, and after how they failed to properly market any of the good upgrades from the Game Pass price hike, that’s still one area I don’t have much faith in.
5. An Infinite Supply of “Console Exclusives”
Xbox is going multiplatform, and they’ve already announced their 3 core pillar titles (Halo, Gears, and Forza) are all going to PlayStation (and most likely Nintendo in the future). Although they may be giving up their exclusives now, what if I told you the NeXbox would have more console exclusive games in one year than PlayStation and Nintendo could produce in one generation? The NeXbox will redefine the narrative with thousands of effective “console exclusives”. A ton of games are released on Steam first before hitting any consoles. Even big successes like 2023’s Game of the Year, Baldur’s Gate 3, launched on PC first. Great PC only games from this year include Megabonk, PEAK, and Dune Awakening.
With Steam arriving on the NeXbox, Xbox could market these as console exclusives, as none of the competition will support Steam. Titles such as Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, Dota 2, and Team Fortress 2 join as “Xbox exclusives,” some with full controller support. Plus, events like Steam Next Fest and countless Early Access releases give Xbox gamers an endless pipeline of fresh content to anticipate. Xbox players would always be in the know with every smash hit available at launch, even ahead of other console competitors.
Final Thoughts on the Approach for Xbox’s Next-Gen
The NeXbox sounds amazing on paper, but its success depends on meticulous execution: a fluid console interface as the default, unobtrusive and optional PC capabilities, and a unified platform with no caveats. A misstep could render it as an aimless device that pleases no one; perfection would make it the most formidable Xbox yet. It has the potential to completely reshape console gaming.
However, reports also suggest that with such a revolutionary device comes a premium price that most won’t be able to stomach, and that will be Microsoft’s biggest challenge next-gen. But that’s a discussion for another day. For now, though, Xbox’s trajectory inspires real optimism (if you even still have any left for them). This can’t be another stepping stone towards their vision—this is the time to pull out all the stops and turn that vision into reality. Next-gen is closer than it seems, and I’m hoping to see an even more exciting era of gaming begin.
