In yet another leak from the FTC vs Microsoft trial over the Activision Blizzard acquisition, Microsoft’s plans for its next-gen Cloud Hybrid Xbox have been revealed.
The console, which is scheduled to be released sometime in 2028, is pegged to be a ‘next generation hybrid game platform’ that combines the power of the client (the Xbox console) and the cloud to “enable new levels of performance beyond the capabilities of the client hardware alone”.
An important thing to note is that the details mentioned in the leaked slide are from a pitch Microsoft created in May 2022, so things might change as the company gets closer to release.
However, it still provides an interesting insight into what the company has in store. In terms of hardware, the next Xbox might feature an ARM64 CPU and an AMD GPU, which will feature next-gen DirectX Raytracing, dynamic global illumination, micropolygon rendering optimization, and machine learning-based super resolution.
The slide also mentions a “handheld device” that will run on “Thin OS” and be priced at sub $99. It is unclear if Microsoft plans to release a separate handheld device that will run games purely from the cloud or if it will be a tie-in with a third-party manufacturer. However, it does make it clear that they will be banking hard on cloud gaming when the next generation rolls out.
In another leaked slide, the timeline for the production of the new console was revealed. Microsoft is currently in the hardware design phase, with development kits scheduled to roll out in 2027, and the eventual release of the console in 2028.
Mufaddal Fakhruddin
Mufaddal Fakhruddin has been writing about games and technology for the past 15 years. He has lost count as to how many reviews he has written over the years, but he is sure headphone reviews make up at least 70% of that.
