Leaked documents from the court in the FTC V. Microsoft case reveal Microsoft’s plans for a next-gen hybrid console launch in 2028. The document doesn’t reveal any specifications on what it might look like or its name. However, two things about this ambitious project are mentioned in the leaked documents. First, its architecture, and second, the use of cloud.
A leaked slide of Microsoft’s presentation accessed and published by The Verge has an “Our Vision” section under Cohesive Hybrid Compute, where it says, “Develop a next generation hybrid game platform capable of leveraging the combined power of the client and cloud to deliver deeper immersion and entirely new classes of game experiences. Optimized for real time game play and creators, we will enable new levels of performance beyond the capabilities of the client hardware alone.”
For its hybrid cloud Xbox 2028 project, Microsoft also mentions Key Strategic Decisions & Investments, which talks about CPU, GPU, NPU, Graphics, and OS innovations. It plans to switch to an ARM64 CPU by taking a cue from Nintendo.
Another slide chronicles Xbox’s journey from 2021 and stops at 2028, where Next Gen Xbox is touted to offer Cloud Hybrid Games and Immersive Game and App platform. Yet another document reveals the company’s plan to start hardware design in 2024, release development kits in 2027, and launch the Next-Gen Xbox in 2028.
Microsoft is putting its focus on integrating AI and machine learning capabilities in its next Xbox offering.