Earlier this morning there was a huge leak from Microsoft’s case against the FTC and in it were details about Microsoft’s intended plan for a local and cloud game hybrid Xbox console.
According to documents that were part of the leak, the next-generation console will be a hybrid platform that offers immersive games and apps. This follows another part of the leak which detailed the plan for an upcoming Xbox Series X with a cylinder shape. It would be an all-digital version of the Series X and come with 2TB of internal storage space for games.
The cloud hybrid Xbox is reportedly part of Microsoft’s goal to be a market leader by 2030. And to that end has set out a clear path to reach goal.
A cloud hybrid Xbox console would have dropped by 2028
If these are still Microsoft’s plans and they’re still on track, gamers could see this new Xbox by 2028. At least, that was the intention based on the document. A different slide from the same leak mentions potential specs and performance features for the future of Xbox consoles. This includes “next gen DirectX raytracing” capabilities and micropolygon rendering optimizations just to name a few examples. The leak also mentions ML based super resolution and dynamic global illumination.
Worth keeping in mind is that Microsoft may have gone in a completely different direction for its next-gen Xbox plans. A tweet from Xbox head Phil Spencer after the leaks were revealed mentions that “so much has changed.” And that those changes are directly part of why there’s so much to be excited about regarding the future of Xbox. This doesn’t confirm or deny a cloud hybrid console is still in the works. But at one point this was definitely the idea taking shape. Spencer says that the company will share the real plans when the time is right.