Despite recent news suggesting that this is not the case, a new exclusive report from Windows Central’s Jez Corden says that the definitive next-gen Xbox hardware plan is in place.
Corden says Microsoft is working on Xbox-branded gaming handhelds, which will be released later this year. The codename “Keynan” and the handheld is reportedly “unmistressedly Xbox.” The handheld is said to be a partner device similar to the Steamos partnership with Lenovo Valve. As a result, don’t be surprised if the unit runs Windows OS.
Other handheld devices such as the Lenovo Legion Go can run the Xbox Game Pass, but they also come with Lenovo’s own software, which many people dismiss as bloatware. Place a dedicated Windows device in a handheld form and the goal is to fully capture your PC gaming experience in a handheld form. While Steam Deck does a great job, there are still countless hurdles to jumping to run the game from outside the Steam Marketplace.
The next-gen Xbox is currently scheduled to be released in 2027.
That’s not what Microsoft has for hardware news. Corden added that the next-gen Xbox console (which is called a console, not a console) is scheduled for release in 2027.
He says that the successor to the Xbox Series X | S Family Platform is “completely environmentally friendly to CEO Satya Nadella.” It’s not clear whether it includes similar SKUs as the more powerful console, the Xbox Series X, but the digital budget option, Xbox Series S says Microsoft’s overall hardware plan includes the premium successor to the Xbox Series X, its own Xbox Gaming Handheld, and a new controller option.
The Xbox brand has been working on backward compatibility since the release of the Xbox 360. Nintendo has confirmed that the Nintendo Switch 2: Switch library is a successor and playable.
According to Corden, another feature that another feature is working on is the new Xbox controller “connect to Cloud-to Cloud.” This allows players to easily switch controllers between different devices.
I’m going to be a huge fan of this innovation as someone who has to constantly repair my Xbox controller.
