Microsoft’s Next Xbox to Embrace Steam, Ditch Paid Multiplayer
MUNICH – Microsoft is planning a meaningful shift with its next-generation Xboxโ console, aiming to blendโ the โaccessibility of aโ console with the versatility of a PC. Leaked specificationsโ and reports indicate the new Xbox will natively support PC game librariesโ from โขplatforms like Steam, alongside Xbox Series X|S titlesโ and backwardsโข compatibility with Xbox One and Xbox 360 games.
The console is designed to launch users directly into the Xbox app upon startup, offering a streamlinedโ console experience. Though, users will retain the ability to exit the Xbox app and access the full Windows desktop, effectively โฃtransforming the device into a fully โคfunctional PC. โThis hybrid approach aims to bridge the gap between console and PC gaming, offering a single device for a wider range of titles.
A key feature of the next Xbox will beโ the elimination of mandatory paid subscriptions for online multiplayer โขgaming, โa departure from the current Xbox Live Gold/Game โขPass Ultimate model. thisโข move is expected โto โขmake online gaming more accessible to a โขbroader audience.
According to details revealed by โค Notebookcheck, the โnext-generation xbox will be powered by a custom AMD “Magnus” chip. This chip will feature eleven processor cores based on the โขZen 6 architecture โand โan RDNA 5 graphics chip with 68 compute units, positioning โขit as possibly more powerful than the APU found in the PlayStation 5.
Microsoft is reportedly targeting a balance between performance and affordability, aiming to offer a next-gen gaming experience at a โlower price point than a comparably powerful gaming PC. The console is also expected to offer easier โขsetup and configuration compared to building a PC.
