Microsoft has started openly discussing and marketing the upcoming Xbox model, even hinting at certain features for the system. Xbox is one of the major gaming brands, along with Nintendo and PlayStation, but its image has significantly evolved since the Xbox 360 era. The launch of Xbox One was met with numerous challenges, such as its always-online DRM policy, mandatory Kinect bundle, and several other issues. Although most of these problems were addressed within a year after release, they left a lingering negative impact on the Xbox One generation. Additionally, many of the first-party games during this period were merely average at best.
Beyond this, it’s worth noting that Halo faced some setbacks – a rocky launch for “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” and “Halo 5” failing to captivate longtime fans. These incidents exposed some vulnerabilities within the Xbox brand, yet it also made strides such as Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Play Anywhere, and more. Xbox even pioneered crossplay in console gaming, but PlayStation has remained ahead in sales figures. Recently, Xbox has been releasing major titles on PlayStation 5, leaving many to ponder about its future in the industry.
It’s clear that Xbox isn’t planning on leaving the video game console market any time soon. Recently, they announced a multi-year partnership for manufacturing parts of their next-generation Xbox console. Although the design and name of this upcoming console remain unknown, Microsoft has confirmed that it is currently being developed and will offer players access to their entire library of backward compatible games. This is consistent with Xbox’s reputation for enabling players to play classic games straight from the disc without needing additional workarounds, which is a feature not commonly found on PlayStation or Nintendo consoles.
As a gamer myself, I’m buzzing with anticipation as Xbox appears to be hinting at Steam making an appearance on their console. There’s been a lot of chatter about this possibility, and it seems like the team is giving it some serious consideration now. Sarah Bond from Xbox dropped a tantalizing hint that the next Xbox won’t be confined to a single storefront, and you’ll have the freedom to play your games wherever suits you best. This opens up the intriguing prospect of playing popular titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man and The Last of Us, which are available on Steam, right on my Microsoft-owned console if this rumor comes true. Excitingly, Xbox’s new handheld device is already set to leverage this change later this year. But the question remains: what’s in it for Xbox?
Essentially, Steam operates independently as a platform for gaming purchases. When gamers buy their titles through Steam, revenue flows directly to Valve and the game’s original creators. Given this setup, it seems unlikely that Xbox could secure a portion of those sales; however, only time will tell what the future holds.
What do you think of this new Xbox? Let me know in the comments.
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2025-06-17 21:41