The ROG Xbox Ally won't be the last of Xbox’s hardware-making efforts.
Microsoft is officially developing the next generation of Xbox gaming hardware, following the current Xbox Series X|S lineup. While speaking to Variety, Xbox president Sarah Bond confirmed that the console maker’s “next-gen hardware” is currently in development, with an AMD partnership involved in its production.
Xbox next-gen consoles are already in the works
Xbox president Sarah Bond recently spoke to Variety about the release of the new ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X handhelds. In the same interview, she confirmed that Xbox is already hard at work producing successors to the Xbox Series X|S generation of gaming consoles.
Bond said that the company is “100% looking at making things in the future." She continued:
“We have our next-gen hardware in development. We've been looking at prototyping, designing. We have a partnership we've announced with AMD around it, so that is coming. What we saw here was an opportunity to innovate in a new way and to bring gamers another choice, in addition to our next-gen hardware. We are always listening to what players and creators want. When there is demand for innovation, we're going to build it."
Bond’s statement offers concrete confirmation that Microsoft isn’t planning to leave the gaming console business anytime soon, despite recent marketing efforts suggesting otherwise. The company’s ongoing “This is an Xbox” campaign suggests that any device can be an Xbox device, with the help of cloud gaming and an Xbox Game Pass subscription.
Bond commented on this, saying that they “want to make sure that people have a choice.” Players who “want the latest innovations, that want to push the edge of what's possible, the most demanding players” will have a way into the Xbox ecosystem, and players who are “looking for PC gaming on the go, they're a casual gamer, they're a gaming enthusiast, then there's Xbox Allys for them. Giving multiple choices for people, so we can actually meet people where they are."
Bond’s comment on the ROG Xbox Ally being for “casual gamers” and “enthusiasts” might not ring true, however, considering both the consoles retail for around US$600 to US$1000 at launch. Xbox also recently introduced price hikes for both its hardware and Xbox Game Pass subscriptions.
Still, it looks like Xbox consoles aren’t going anywhere for at least one more generation.
