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Xbox consoles in 2026 (Prediction)

LordOcidax

Member
A home console “Xbox Optimus” (Around 40-50% more powerful that the PS5 Pro) starting price $699.99 with 1 Year of XGPU included, and a Portable “Xbox Go” (Not and hybrid, around 30-40% more powerful than the Switch 2) Starting price $499.99 with 1 Year of XGPU included, both system are going to support the STEAM library since day 1. Third party manufacturers can make their Xbox machines, MSi and Asus are going to be there day 1 with more powerful machines (Home consoles) than Microsoft but more expensive and no GP deal included.

aqfZgbV.jpeg
 
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IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
A home console “Xbox Optimus” (Around 40-50% more powerful that the PS5 Pro) starting price $699.99 with 2 Year of XGPU included, and a Portable “Xbox Go” (Not and hybrid, around 30-40% more powerful than the Switch 2) Starting price $499.99 with 2 Year of XGPU included, both system are going to support the STEAM library since day 1.

That sounds like a financial disaster.

First the cost of the console. More powerful than a PS5 Pro, but not more expensive. That means MS will be making a major loss on each console sold.

Both the home console and portable come with 2 years of GP included! So, any potential customer doesn't need to give another penny to Microsoft for two years after purchase! I guess they could recoup the costs on games sold in the Xbox store, but......

Steam access. This means that people can just buy games for cheaper on Steam than the Xbox store, giving people less of a reason to spend any money with Microsoft in that 2 year grace period.

These are ideas that would destroy the Xbox division forever.

Edit - I didn't see the third party manufacturer part. Why would anyone by an Xbox from a third party when the Microsoft system gives them 2 years of GP?
 
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Your predictions seem alright OP. I do think desktop version will be $999. There won’t be any licensing of the OS (not easy to market such devices. Also will compete with Windows).

Also will have newer gen processor, gpu architecture, 32 gb gddr7 ram, latest AI upscaling/frame gen tech, RT engine.

Likely will run everything at 4k-60 with path tracing. (Internal resolutions + frame rates will be lower).
 

ReBurn

Gold Member
I have no idea what they will actually do. I might buy that $1,000 hybrid box some people were talking about in another thread if it gave me access to my existing Xbox BC library, if it supported game pass, and it allowed me to play my Steam games at decent level of performance. But honestly, at this point I'm thinking just go PC instead of juggling consoles. Spend $2K on a decent rig and play there.
 
I think it’ll be a cloud enabled handheld. That’s purely digital and might come with weird memory cards. The lower resolution screen seems ideal for where xcloud is at just now (latency concerns aside)

This might also have a dock that does more than hook up an hdmi and has its own storage

Then about a year of so later. I’m sure it will be a more powerfully console. If ms can get a good node shrink and try not to force in memory constraints, maybe 50% more powerful than the pro is for around the same price or a little less (I’m looking at the price of the 2tb Xbox as a guide.). Not sure about a disk drive. Even as an option. But I think there will be one. Just to stop the negative internet hype

This console. May also function as an expanded deck for the handheld, but if not they will most likely be able to communicate directly. Thinking streaming games to the handheld and sync’ing saves with the base

Just my two cents, but I think both options are not going to be cheap (but you will get gamepass on the go)
 

nial

Gold Member
Anyone who says 'ahh' instead of 'ass' comes off as AI too. You can use big boy words here.
I've read 'ahh' so many times that it comes to my mind before 'ass'. I have zero problems with using 'ass', lol.
 
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reinking

Gold Member
No idea. I believe manufacturing costs are about to skyrocket even higher and they have no intention of selling a console at a loss. I hope they at least come out with a docking handheld. No way it will start at $500.
 
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digdug2

Member
I've read 'ahh' so many times that it comes to my mind before 'ass'. I have zero problem using 'ass', lol.
Haha. I see "ahh" so much on YouTube threads and IG... and yeah, they all feel like they were written by AI-created posters. It's almost as ubiquitous as the "Nice try Diddy" bullshit that gets posted over and over everywhere.
 

LordOcidax

Member
That sounds like a financial disaster.

First the cost of the console. More powerful than a PS5 Pro, but not more expensive. That means MS will be making a major loss on each console sold.

Both the home console and portable come with 2 years of GP included! So, any potential customer doesn't need to give another penny to Microsoft for two years after purchase! I guess they could recoup the costs on games sold in the Xbox store, but......

Steam access. This means that people can just buy games for cheaper on Steam than the Xbox store, giving people less of a reason to spend any money with Microsoft in that 2 year grace period.

These are ideas that would destroy the Xbox division forever.

Edit - I didn't see the third party manufacturer part. Why would anyone by an Xbox from a third party when the Microsoft system gives them 2 years of GP?
Maybe 2 years is a bit excessive, 1 year could do the trick, they are going to bank on micro transactions, dlcs and games not included in the GP, also the store front. STEAM is just an incentive but the console is not going to target PC owners for obvious reasons.
 
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LordOcidax

Member
Your predictions seem alright OP. I do think desktop version will be $999. There won’t be any licensing of the OS (not easy to market such devices. Also will compete with Windows).

Also will have newer gen processor, gpu architecture, 32 gb gddr7 ram, latest AI upscaling/frame gen tech, RT engine.

Likely will run everything at 4k-60 with path tracing. (Internal resolutions + frame rates will be lower).
Yes, they could go crazy with the specs too. But i think that third party manufacturers are going to do that, not Microsoft.
 

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
Maybe 2 years is a bit excessive, 1 year could do the trick, they are going to bank on micro transactions, dlcs and games not included in the GP, also the store front. STEAM is just an incentive but the console is not going to target PC owners for obvious reasons.

Even a year is too much! You can't just hope people spend big on DLC and MTX when you're giving them 12 months of free games.

Steam would be the killing blow. If I had this console I'd use GP for 12 months then buy all third party titles on Steam where they're cheaper. Why spend more money on the Xbox store when I can use Steam?

Sorry, but the ideas here don't make financial sense at all.
 

James Sawyer Ford

Gold Member
$999 for a SteamBox PC that's marginally more powerful than the PS5 Pro, if they release in 2026

Niche device that's only meant to be an olive branch for Xbox stalwarts that want to keep their digital libraries. Microsoft eventually moves their libraries to PC, so anyone that has an old library can play them there on any PC hardware

The end
 

SHA

Member
Smart, they started thinking like Nintendo and Steam and Sony has started thinking like Apple.
 

Chukhopops

Member
I honestly believe the next Xbox will just be some prebuilt PC with a bit of Xbox ecosystem included, designed for people who can’t/won’t build a PC.

After the messaging in the past year and their performance this gen there’s no way they expect to sell a lot of dedicated game consoles and third party support would be a problem as well if the install base is low.

And I say that as someone who’s been a Xbox main for as many years as Xbox has existed.
 
Going with the assumption that subsidizing losses are gone and crater in non-hardcore system buyers, what's left? High-priced third party console sales for those who remain? An improved Xbox OS for handhelds with native play and great streaming? Is there any desire to even come up with something to bring more people in on hardware or is this just exit strategy.
 

StereoVsn

Gold Member
Wow, OP has been dreaming big!

  • Xbox more powerful vs Pro but cheaper! 🤡
  • Bundle in 2 years of GamePass. 🤡🤡
  • Throw in Steam - 🤡🤡🤡 Not for that price.
  • Ignore trade war that just got kicked off. 🤡🤡🤡🤡
I can see MS producing hybrid hardware for a high price that will allow PC and Xbox gaming. It will be profitable Day1 and it will NOT give anyone more than a month or three of GP.

It’s similar with hardware partners. Why in the world will they produce hardware when MS will price cut them?

More likely result:

  • MS Xbox Optimus Prime - $999
  • Prime Plus - $1299
  • Prime Plus Pro Max Phil Spencer Edition - $1599
  • Hardware partners - $1299 to the moon!
 

LordOcidax

Member
Wow, OP has been dreaming big!

  • Xbox more powerful vs Pro but cheaper! 🤡
  • Bundle in 2 years of GamePass. 🤡🤡
  • Throw in Steam - 🤡🤡🤡 Not for that price.
  • Ignore trade war that just got kicked off. 🤡🤡🤡🤡
I can see MS producing hybrid hardware for a high price that will allow PC and Xbox gaming. It will be profitable Day1 and it will NOT give anyone more than a month or three of GP.

It’s similar with hardware partners. Why in the world will they produce hardware when MS will price cut them?

More likely result:

  • MS Xbox Optimus Prime - $999
  • Prime Plus - $1299
  • Prime Plus Pro Max Phil Spencer Edition - $1599
  • Hardware partners - $1299 to the moon!
dg0fwHt.gif


You are not good enough making predictions
 

Humdinger

Gold Member
Two units: one handheld, probably around $600; the other a high-end console/PC hybrid, aimed at a niche market and priced at around $1000. I base that on MS's confirmation of the handheld and on quasi-insider info from two people here in whom I have some faith.

I'm not sure what that high-end hybrid model will look like. I'm curious whether it will have Steam et al. integration, and if so, how well they pull that off.
 
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NomenNescio

Gold Member
I have no idea what they will actually do. I might buy that $1,000 hybrid box some people were talking about in another thread if it gave me access to my existing Xbox BC library, if it supported game pass, and it allowed me to play my Steam games at decent level of performance. But honestly, at this point I'm thinking just go PC instead of juggling consoles. Spend $2K on a decent rig and play there.
With Sony and MS porting everything to PC, I'm 100% going to PC by 2027, around the time the 6090 launches.
 

Parazels

Member
It will be an expensive console (without subsidizing) with console interface, pc architecture and pc games.

Your Xbox games will automatically convert into pc games. The older games, which don't have pc versions, will be ignored or run via emulators.

This is a win-win option for Microsoft.
 

poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
Not a bad guess but prices would be a lot higher especially for the console. I'm guessing an even bigger lift in performance and a >$1000 price.
Also I doubt anything in 2026.
Also a handheld would be hybrid by default, no way it wouldn't have HDMI out.
 
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bitbydeath

Member
If any new consoles were coming out in 2026 we’d know by now. At best the OEM PC’s could still happen as it would simply use off the shelf parts.
 

Metnut

Member
Gamepass isn’t an upstart or a loss leader. They aren’t giving away 12+ months for free. Goes against the whole purpose of their business model.
 

EN250

Member
This new console will have games or they just throwing money away bulding this thing without any games like Xbone Series? Because if people can get those games on other systems, why the hell they'd buy a new more expesive Xbox when they can buy those games on Steam, PS5, Switch2 probably as well...?
 
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