In an interview with Mashable on YouTube, Xbox President Sarah Bond sat down to discuss the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally. She described it as the first time Xbox has created a handheld device, pushing back against the narrative on X (formerly Twitter) that it’s not a real Xbox product.
The interview focused on the new Xbox Ally, but Bond then hinted at the future of Xbox hardware and where the platform is headed. Specifically, it gave the clearest indication yet of how Microsoft is positioning its next console for consumers.
Xbox President Calls Next-Gen Console “A Very Premium, High-End Experience”
Look on it
When asked about the future of Xbox hardware, Bond didn’t reveal any technical details or release plans, but she did say:
The next-gen console will be a very premium, high-end experience
Sarah Bond – President of Xbox
This choice of words stood out. Prime And organized suggest that Xbox could go further in high-end territory and away from the affordability angle that defined the Xbox Series S. Bond also said that some of the thinking behind next-gen can already be seen in Xbox Ally, which hints at deeper integration with Windows, AI features, or a more unified ecosystem approach.
Nothing is confirmed, and this is still early speculation, but his comments suggest we may not see another cheaper entry system like the Series S. That would be disappointing for gamers who value console choice and affordability. I own two Series S consoles myself because they are perfect secondary devices in the house, especially at second-hand prices.
Yet with the way Microsoft structures its gaming business around the cloud, AI and expensive partnerships, it’s unclear how well Xbox’s traditional hardware strategy will survive.
Xbox price hikes and focus on AI test gamer confidence
Xbox price hikes and focus on AI test gamer confidence
It’s easy to feel frustrated as an Xbox fan these days. The price of Game Pass has increased, and as someone my friends consider to be deeply entrenched in the Xbox space, I’m constantly asked whether or not Xbox is dead. It gets tiring.
The negativity around Xbox seems to have reached an all-time high. Unsubstantiated rumors gain enormous traction online, while follow-up posts debunking them don’t get the same visibility. Indeed, many people now find it credible that the Xbox is in trouble or being pulled from stores, even if it’s not true.
Recently, prices for Xbox Series X and Series S dev kits have also increased, in part due to tariffs. This creates an even bigger hurdle for studios developing games on the platform. This is a problem because rising development costs tend to hurt indie developers first, and game diversity is what keeps a platform healthy.
The main problem, at least from my perspective, is that Xbox has spent years putting players and the community at the center of its strategy. This message has changed. Since Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard, Xbox has looked less like a community gaming platform and more like a division within a billion-dollar company focused on profits. When you spend $70 billion on a publisher, shareholders expect aggressive growth, and executives like Satya Nadella and Amy Hood want that return on their investment as soon as possible. Add to that Microsoft’s obsession with AI right now, and you start to feel like Xbox is being reshaped into something more professional and less focused on gaming.
Xbox still has momentum, and even a PlayStation veteran likes Xbox Ally
I recently discussed the fact that Shuhei Yoshida, a respected figure in the PlayStation legacy, called the Xbox Ally X his favorite PC gaming handheld. It’s a small but meaningful reminder that good hardware comes through brand loyalty, and that even a longtime PlayStation veteran finds value in the Xbox ecosystem.
However, despite this, it’s hard to stay positive in the face of rising prices, and despite the fact that Bond has doubled down on its hardware, hearing that this will be a high-end device fills me with little hope. But I will say that a unified system that can play my Xbox library and my Steam library could be a device that justifies a premium price, but it remains to be seen if Xbox will offer something like that and if not, the Series X and S could be my last foray into Xbox hardware.
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