Next-Gen Xbox To Run Full Windows: Microsoft Plans Major Platform Shift

Microsoft is gearing up for some big changes in the cloud-powered future of gaming. Fresh rumours from the site now say that the next version of Microsoft’s Xbox hardware will ‘be based on’ full Windows, albeit with a console-friendly interface for big-screen TVs layered over it. This is a huge departure from Xbox as a walled garden to an open gaming machine.

Xbox to Support Third-Party Game Stores

Based on a Windows Central report, available platforms include:

- Steam

- Epic Games Store

- Battle.net

- Along with the Microsoft Store

his would mean that players could potentially install and play games without having to depend solely on Xbox’s own marketplace. Users can also transition to the full Windows experience at any time.

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But it will be an optional Windows interface. Traditionalist fans will still be able to stay in the Xbox world if they choose.

Inspired by Xbox Handhelds

Microsoft has unveiled an early glimpse of their strategy with the ROG Xbox Ally wearable computers, which run Windows 11 but boot directly into an Xbox-style user interface for gaming. As part of a pilot study, user feedback will now be collected so as to refine this experience when developing future Xbox consoles.

Backwards Compatibility and Multiplayer Changes

The new Xbox will reportedly have full backwards compatibility with the entire Xbox Series S/X library. Still, as native PC vs Xbox gaming formats are being worked out, this will guarantee long-term game support.

There may also be a significant change to online gaming:

- Multiplayer could become free on Xbox

- No Game Pass requirement for online play

If accurate, that would be one less paywall than what Microsoft had put in place behind Xbox Live Gold.

Console Exclusives Are Changing

And this has come on the back of Microsoft’s shift from traditional exclusives over the last couple years. Major Xbox franchises like

- Gears of War

- Forza Horizon

- Halo: Combat Evolved (Remake in 2026)

…are finding their way to PlayStation and Nintendo, a reflection of Microsoft’s new approach as a multi-platform game publisher.

Xbox president Sarah Bond recently said the next Xbox would be “very high-end”, suggesting it might be a higher-end—and presumably more costly—model than we’ve seen before.

Next Xbox Launch Timeline

Although Microsoft hasn't confirmed a launch date, the next Xbox and Sony PS6 are expected to land around 2027.

A New Era of Xbox Gaming

Microsoft is making Windows “the best” platform on which to play video games with a little help from the next Xbox console, which features Windows at its very heart. An open platform might change the way consoles compete and offer consumers greater freedom and more options for where to buy games.

Presumably, we'll hear even more in the months ahead as Microsoft further crystalizes its future Xbox plans.