The next gen Xbox console may be coming sooner than expected

By Olivia Richman

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Feb 6, 2024

Reading time: 2 min

Industry insiders have shared some possibly exciting information about the next-gen Xbox console.

Earlier today, trusted leakers shared what they have learned about the new Xbox console. The reactions have been mixed so far. Here is what we know about the next Xbox console so far.

New Xbox console rumored for 2026

It seems like just yesterday that the next gen Xbox console, the Series X | S came out. That was back in 2020, however, and it’s looking like Microsoft possibly wants to update their console and games come 2026.

The leak states that there will be two SKUs, including the traditional “powerful high-end console” and then a handheld version that can dock to your TV that’s being compared to the Nintendo Switch. This version will be cheaper.

This next gen Xbox will allegedly be the hybrid cloud console that’s been rumored for a while now.

In 2023, there was a leak that pointed to Microsoft’s plan to release a cloud hybrid console that would combine local native hardware with the console’s cloud servers. But this was originally said to be coming out in 2028.

Microsoft executives stated in a leaked presentation: “Our vision: develop a next-generation hybrid game platform capable of leveraging the combined power of the client and cloud to deliver deeper immersion and entirely new classes of game experiences.”

The leak explained that you’d play their games with a handheld device and its xCloud platform simultaneously.

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Is it possible the next-gen console is coming earlier than expected? Fans have mixed feelings about the handheld aspect, with some pointing out how fun it would be to play games like Palworld on a handheld device, while others have said they could just play on their Switch if they wanted that technology again.