After a year of confusion and concern, Xbox seems to have forged its path forward.
Last year, Microsoft revealed that it would be breaking decades of gaming convention by abandoning console exclusives. Memories of the Sega Dreamcast and Windows Phone in the air led many to wonder if Xbox was, perhaps, not long for this world. Fast forward to now, and things are very different.
Microsoft announced a wealth of hardware strategies over the past few weeks. We have the first OEM “Xbox” from ASUS, dubbed the Xbox Ally. Our reporting suggests Microsoft is also seeking to build its own Xbox handheld in the future. Microsoft also announced the next-gen Xbox strategy, which will support full compatibility with your existing Xbox library. Microsoft is also partnering heavily with AMD to embed Xbox features into a plurality of devices, possibly leading to a whole Xbox “ecosystem” of first and third-party hardware.
There are rumors and speculations that Xbox is going to unleash Steam on the next console as well, bringing with it masses of PC exclusives, including PlayStation’s, to Xbox-first living rooms for the first time. We even had some Xbox VR leaks this week too, with Microsoft building an Xbox-branded Meta Quest in partnership with Facebook.
So, I ask you, dear reader, are you excited about Xbox’s direction as of June 2025?
Of course, execution will be paramount to seeing all of this through. The Xbox PC store still has a lot of gaps both in terms of tech and user experience, but improvements are rapidly emerging. Putting Steam on the next Xbox console could lead to a scenario where developers begin skipping the “native” Xbox version, and Xbox store, foregoing Xbox achievements and the like. There’s also the matter of price. If the next Xbox is a PC in essence, complete with Xbox native compatibility, isn’t that thing going to be quite … pricy?
It’s often the case that new information simply leads to more questions. But at least one big question has been answered: Xbox hardware is still in it for the long haul. We love to see it.
What say you? Vote in our poll, drop in the comments, and have a great weekend!