Xbox One X is set to release Nov. 7, but rumors from Windows Central Senior Editor Jez Corden suggest it may be a while before we see Microsoft's next console on store shelves, but the creative process is already underway.
The next Xbox is already being designed.
— Jez C (@JezCorden) July 11, 2017
The discussion sparked Tuesday night when Corden tweeted “the next Xbox is already being designed.” He also added that “it has a code name,” which means it might be slightly further along in development than expected. When asked about the hardware’s potential release window, Corden mused, “no idea [but] two years sounds too soon to me.”
While these details are expectedly thin, they may be the very first murmurs about a console that could be another iteration of, or just outside, the Xbox One family of devices. Corden stopped short of revealing what the code name might be, but, given his track record for accurate sources inside Microsoft, what he’s been told sounds reasonable.
For those unfamiliar with Corden’s work, he’s perhaps most recently known for obtaining leaked Microsoft marketing materials intended for selling the Xbox One X to consumers. In the package, it was noted that Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Red Dead Redemption 2 would be showcase examples of the console’s “true 4K” capabilities. We haven’t heard anything from the Red Dead camp yet, but, just a few days ago, we learned that Star Wars Battlefront 2 will be an “Xbox One X enhanced” title. We don’t know how those enhancements compare to the ones found on PS4 Pro, but the source material appears to have been partially validated nonetheless.
If we are to take Corden at his word, regardless of how the Xbox One X performs on market, Microsoft will likely be back at least one more time to try its hand at dominating the console gaming market. Given Microsoft’s essentially unlimited resources this isn’t much of a surprise, but it’s also worth considering that, with incentives like the Xbox Play Anywhere Program and rampant brand spinoff rumors, there do seem to be slight signs of distance from TV-connected hardware.
This news arrives at a rather curious time in the post-E3 news cycle too. During the convention, PlayStation boss Shawn Layden told Germany’s Golem.de that his company will rely on something akin to a PS5 for the company’s next big technological leap, adding that “it will probably be some time” before that day comes. With the competition seemingly putting its flag in the ground for the future, it makes sense for Microsoft to do the same. As much as Xbox aims to distance itself from traditional console generations, these parallel reveals seem to suggest that another one is almost certainly on the way.
With years of research and deliberation still ahead, there’s a lot we’d like to see from the next Xbox. Perhaps most crucially, the hardware maker needs to offer a library of exclusive games for the platform that won’t release on PC. Beyond that, continued commitment to affordability, 4K graphics and pro-consumer messaging will serve the hypothetical Xbox Two very well.
What would you like to see from Xbox after Xbox One X? Should we be expecting a major generational shift? Tell us in the comments section.
