In an interview with Mashable on YouTube, Sarah Bond, the president of Xbox, sat down to discuss the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally. She described it as the first time Xbox has created a handheld device, which pushes back on the narrative on X (formerly Twitter) that it is not a real Xbox product.
The interview focused on the new Xbox Ally, but Bond did go on to hint at the future of Xbox hardware and where the platform is heading. More specifically, she gave the strongest indication yet of how Microsoft is positioning its next console for consumers.
Xbox president teases next-gen console as “very premium, high-end curated experience”
When asked about the future of Xbox hardware, Bond did not reveal any technical details or release plans, but she did say:
The next-gen console is going to be a very premium, very high-end curated experience
Sarah Bond - President of Xbox
That choice of words stood out. Premium and curated suggest that Xbox may be moving further into high-end territory and away from the affordability angle that defined the Xbox Series S. Bond also said that some of the thinking behind the next generation can already be seen in the Xbox Ally, which hints at deeper integration with Windows, AI features, or a more unified ecosystem approach.
Nothing is confirmed, and it is still early speculation, but her comments suggest we may not see another lower-cost entry system like the Series S. That would be disappointing for players who value console choice and affordability. I own two Series S consoles myself because they are perfect secondary devices around the house, especially at second-hand prices.
Still, with the way Microsoft is structuring its gaming business around cloud, AI, and high-cost partnerships, it is hard to know how much of Xbox’s traditional hardware strategy will survive.
Xbox price hikes and AI focus are testing player trust
Xbox price hikes and AI focus are testing player trust
It is easy to feel frustrated as an Xbox fan lately. Game Pass has gone up in price, and as someone my friends see as deep in the Xbox space, I am constantly asked if Xbox is dead or not. It gets tiring.
Negativity around Xbox feels like it is at an all-time high. Unsubstantiated rumours gain massive traction online, while follow-up posts debunking them get nowhere near the same visibility. That is because many people now find it believable that Xbox is in trouble or being removed from stores, even when it is not true.
Recently, Xbox Series X and Series S development kits have also increased in price, partly due to tariffs. That creates an even bigger barrier for studios developing games on the platform. It is a problem because increased development costs tend to hurt indie developers first, and diversity of games is what keeps a platform healthy.
The core issue, at least from my perspective, is that Xbox spent years putting players and community at the centre of its strategy. That message has changed. Since Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard, Xbox feels less like a community-driven gaming platform and more like a division within a trillion-dollar corporation focused on returns. When you spend 70 billion dollars on a publisher, shareholders expect aggressive growth, and executives like Satya Nadella and Amy Hood want that return on investment sooner rather than later. Add that Microsoft’s obsession with AI right now, and it starts to feel like Xbox is being reshaped into something more corporate and less about games.
Xbox still has momentum, and even a PlayStation veteran enjoys the Xbox Ally
I recently covered that Shuhei Yoshida, a respected figure in the PlayStation legacy, called the Xbox Ally X his favourite PC gaming handheld. It is a small but meaningful reminder that good hardware cuts through brand loyalty, and even long-time PlayStation veteran is finding value in the Xbox ecosystem.
However, despite that it’s hard to stay positive amid price hikes, and despite Bond doubling down on hardware, hearing it’ll be a high-end premium device fills me with little hope. But I will say a unified system that can play my Xbox library and Steam library could be a device that warrants a premium price tag, but whether Xbox deliver on something like that remains to be seen and if they can’t, the Series X and S may be my last foray into Xbox hardware.
Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
