Xbox next-gen console leak leaves fans pleasantly surprised

Xbox fans are pleasantly surprised at a new leak for the next-gen console coming after the Series X.

The current console generation is now five years old, and it feels like we haven’t yet squeezed as much juice as we can out of the systems.

Despite that, it may only be a few years until we see next-generation consoles hit store shelves.

As new rumours and leaks keep coming in, fans are eager to see how the next generation will look.

Given the challenges both Sony and Microsoft have faced in recent years, it could end up looking a lot different to before.

Now, a new report from WindowsCentral suggests that the next Xbox will not be using Qualcomm chips in its next-gen hardware.

“Our sources confirmed to me this morning that the next Xbox systems, however, are not based on Qualcomm chips,” Jez Corden writes for WindowsCentral.

“There might be some third-party ‘Designed for Xbox’ Arm-based offerings, like the Logitech G Cloud. But, the main plan from Microsoft, at least for now, is for the next-gen Xbox systems to have as much compatibility with your current library as possible.”

Qualcomm chips are ARM-based processors that are better suitable for handheld consoles. Xbox has previously been using AMD x86-based consoles, which are better for compatibility.

One of the bigger challenges for Microsoft, if it switches to a Qualcomm processor chip, would be to adapt backwards compatibility for the new system.

It would mean potentially thousands of Xbox games won’t work on the new console.

So, fans are happy that Microsoft won’t be switching processors for the next console.

“I just don't understand what they would actually gain from moving to Qualcomm ARM chips,” wrote one comment on Reddit. “AMD's APUs are doing a fine job powering handheld PC devices like the Steam Deck and it would take a lot less work to make them binary-compatible with XB1/XSX titles.”

“I have a Surface Laptop 7 13.8 with the Snapdragon X Elite and yup through the Xbox app the only option I have is cloud gaming,” another comment wrote. “I was excited when Balatro got added to Game Pass thinking how great that would be to play on the laptop but the cloud version is the Xbox version not PC so no KBM only controller.

“Meanwhile I can just install the x86 version of Balatro and it runs perfectly fine. Guild Wars 2 and Star Trek Online, 13/15 year old MMOs work fine. The PRISM emulation really is amazing. So I would be so damn happy if that's what this is for because these games run so let us install them with Game Pass.”

Details about the next Xbox console are far and few between, and it’ll likely be a few years before we find out more.