Xbox executives and recent reports suggest that the next-generation Xbox console will be closer to a PC running Windows with an Xbox interface. Now, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has also said that the company is looking for ways to hybrid PC/console for the next Xbox and “revisiting” the idea of a console as a PC.
The CEO made his comments about Microsoft’s gaming division during a TBPN live broadcast on Tuesday, in which he discussed Xbox’s shift toward a multi-platform strategy and next-generation Xbox hardware, among other issues.
In a recent update, Xbox leadership said the next-generation Xbox home console will be similar to the ROG Xbox Ally handheld device, with Windows at the core of the device. Nadella also sought to emphasize Microsoft’s focus on Windows PC gaming, hinting at a unified future for Xbox and Windows.
“Remember, the biggest gaming business is the Windows business,” Nadella said in an interview. “For us, playing games on Windows — of course, Steam has built a huge market on top of that and done it very successfully.
ROG Xbox Ally X runs Windows with an Xbox interface
Image source: Microsoft/ASUS
Xbox games on all platforms
The Xbox parent company has acquired a number of studios over the years, including major publishing and development giants like Bethesda and most recently Activision. Since 2024, the company has abandoned its exclusivity strategy and sought to launch more first-party games, old and new, on rival platforms such as PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
Nadella said Microsoft is now looking at games from a publisher’s perspective and wants to bring its games to all platforms, not just Xbox.
“For us, the way we think about games is first and foremost, now we’re the largest publisher after Activision Blizzard [acquisition]”, Nadella said. “So we want to be a great publisher, just like we did with Office,” he added.
“We’re going to be everywhere, on every platform. So we want to make sure that, whether it’s consoles, PC, mobile, cloud gaming or TV. So we just want to make sure that gamers everywhere can enjoy the game.
Next-gen Xbox and Windows PC
Nadella also participated in discussions about Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox game console. After Xbox executives Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond hinted that the future of the platform would be Windows-centric, a report from Windows Central last week claimed that the next-generation Xbox console will be based on Windows and be able to run PC games on multiple storefronts. Nadella said the company is viewing the next-generation Xbox as a console/PC hybrid.
“Secondly, we also want to do innovative work on the systems side of consoles and PCs. It’s interesting that people think consoles and PCs are two different things. We build consoles because we want to build better PCs that can then be used for gaming. So, I kind of want to revisit some of the traditional wisdom.
“But at the end of the day, this console is an unparalleled experience. It delivers unparalleled performance, and I think that drives the system forward. So, I’m really looking forward to the next console, the next PC game.”
Nadella’s comments come after Xbox president Sarah Bond said earlier this month that the next generation of Xbox will be a “very premium, very high-end curated experience.” In an interview following the release of the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, Bond said the new handheld devices will go some way to guiding the thinking behind the next generation of Xbox home consoles, hinting that the future of Xbox will be Windows-centric.
The next generation Xbox console is expected to launch in 2027.
