It has been a rocky few weeks for Microsoft and their Xbox brand, what with the announcement of a huge price increase for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and the release of a $999 handheld.
It’s that handheld that has some fans thinking that Xbox will soon be leaving the idea of consoles behind in favour of a PC inside a console shell.
This isn’t a wild theory, and past rumours have pointed to the next Xbox featuring more of a Windows approach, in order to allow fans to buy games on other platforms, much like the new Xbox ROG Ally.
Over on Reddit, players feels like they can see the future of the Xbox brand becoming something very different, with one fan eager to see what’s next in their thread.
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They say, “After seeing the reviews for the Xbox Ally, it’s possible that Xbox are seeing how everyone reacts to a Windows-Xbox hybrid.”
Not everyone is convinced it would be a good move, even if the next-gen Xbox does somehow feature a way to play Steam games, and other titles from PC storefronts.
“If so, we can expect a lacklustre console with minimal effort. Yay,” comments one frustrated Redditor.
Another player jumps in to list out many reasons as to why this would be a bad idea for Microsoft, with reasons ranging from having to play against PC players, to frustrations with different launchers for games.
They ultimately say, “If Microsoft ever releases a PC branded as a 'next-gen Xbox,' it will flop harder than Google Stadia.” Pretty damning.
One Redditor goes further with their speculation, noting, “I think the next Xbox is going to be purely a PC with added support for older console games. I bet it will launch around $700 for the S model and $1100 for the X model.”
If this is the future of Xbox, it’s going to be very divisive for all.
Topics: Xbox, Xbox Ally, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Microsoft