Microsoft’s new console will probably not see the light of day before 2026 or 2027, but it is already being talked about for a very specific reason: its price. According to several cross-leaks and official statements from Xbox, the next generation could cost between $800 and $1,200. An unprecedented amount for a home console, which is already dividing the gaming community.
It was Sarah Bond, president of Xbox, who added fuel to the fire by talking about a “very high-end and very premium” console. In an interview with Mashable, she even specifies that the current thinking is directly inspired by the design of the ROG Xbox Ally, the portable console co-developed with Asus: “The next generation console will be a very high-end and very premium experience”, she declared, before adding: “You are starting to see some of our thinking on this portable console [ROG Xbox Ally]but I don’t want to reveal everything.”
A console closer to the PC… and more expensive than ever
These statements seem to confirm a much broader ambition for the next Xbox. Microsoft is reportedly preparing a hybrid machine, halfway between a traditional console and a high-performance gaming PC. According to analyst Moore’s Law is Dead, well informed about AMD architectures, the machine would feature the AMD Magnus APU, a chip combining a new generation CPU and GPU.
But this rise in power comes at a price. According to the latest estimates relayed in specialized circles, the Next-Gen Xbox could appear between 800 and 1,200 dollarsa range that would make it the most expensive console ever launched on the market. A choice that completely breaks with the initial philosophy of consoles, supposed to offer a simple and affordable alternative to the PC.
This policy comes in an already tense context for Microsoft: the recent price increase for Game Pass led to the massive cancellation of millions of subscriptions. Enough to raise fears of a break with part of its historical player base.
Players skeptical of Microsoft’s strategy
Unsurprisingly, user reactions were quick to multiply on social networks. Some question the logic of such pricing positioning, even though current consoles are not fully exploited. “The games don’t even fully utilize current gen features and we’re already expected to update our consoles??”, one user wrote.
Others, more decided, point out that the line between console and PC is becoming blurred: “So what’s the point? Better to use your $1,200 to build a PC. The point of consoles is to be able to play affordable games, but if money is not a problem, you get a PC.”
For now, Microsoft has not officially confirmed the price of its future machine. But by choosing to position the Next-Gen Xbox as an ultra-premium platform, the Redmond firm is embarking on an ambitious… but perilous path.