Microsoft has reportedly reiterated its plan to have multiple Xboxes – of some description – for the next and 10th generation of consoles. The suggestion being that there’s a main console accompanied by some kind of portable, on-the-go games machine.
The suggestion comes from Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, who was talking yesterday at a company ‘town hall’ meeting that Windows Central was reportedly sent a transcript of. “We are moving to a family of devices for Gen-10,” Sharma is reported as saying. “There is not one device that fits all.
“We will certainly have a great console first,” Sharma added, “but we also know that many players will be on the go. There are some things that we are the best in the world to manufacture, and there are other things that we will partner on. So, we will be sharing more about that as our plans develop. The operating system is starting to look really good. We’re very excited about this.”
This is not the first time Microsoft has talked about next-generation plans, nor about its desire for Project Helix – as the next-generation Xbox hardware is codenamed – to be a “family” of devices. Sharma said almost the same thing to the BBC recently, stating: “We’ve been hard at work on a great next generation and a great family of devices for Helix, and we’ll share more soon.”
Sharma isn’t reported as saying anything more about Helix during the Xbox town hall meeting, but she has previously said “Project Helix will lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games”, suggesting a kind of hybrid nature. Whether or not it will have a disc-drive is another burning question as yet unanswered.
Of course, it’s not a radical departure at all that Microsoft would want a “family” of Xbox devices. Indeed, it has already used this approach this generation, with Xbox Series S being a more entry-level accompaniment to Xbox Series X, and the Asus ROG Ally X handheld – a partnership with Asus (partnerships being something Sharma referenced in the alleged town hall speech) – providing an Xbox experience on the go. Key to this approach is Xbox’s Play Anywhere cross-buy initiative, which lets you buy a game on one platform and play it on others.
A bigger question surrounding Microsoft’s next-generation plans relates to the ongoing memory component crisis, which has driven computer hardware prices up enormously, resulting in unprecedented price rises for consoles this generation – and it’s an AI-driven shortage that shows no signs of abating or slowing down. Sharma has talked about exploring “radically different business models” in order that people can afford whatever Xbox makes and puts out.