Microsoft just made a big announcement: the next Xbox will basically be a PC. They’ve teamed up with AMD to make chips for their new Xbox consoles. This isn’t totally new – AMD has made chips for Xbox since the Xbox 360 days. But what’s different is how open Microsoft says these new consoles will be.
The big news? The next Xbox will run on Windows and won’t force you to use just Microsoft’s store. This means you’ll probably be able to use other game stores like Steam. Microsoft already showed this idea with the ROG Xbox Ally – a handheld Xbox device made by Asus that runs Windows and lets you play games from different stores.
Microsoft’s Sarah Bond said they want gaming to work across all your devices, not just one box under your TV. They’re working closely with the Windows team to make Windows the best place for games. The new Xbox will still play all your old Xbox games, but it’ll be more like a PC than ever before.
There might be more than one new Xbox – Bond talked about devices “in your living room and in your hands.” Some people think this means Microsoft might make their own handheld, though recent reports say they stopped working on that.
One downside: since they’re using AMD chips, the new Xbox won’t have Nvidia‘s DLSS technology, which makes games look better and run smoother. AMD and Sony have tried to make something similar, but it’s not as good yet.
This is a big change from how consoles usually work. While PlayStation is sticking to the traditional console idea, Microsoft is making Xbox more like a PC. The next few years in gaming are going to be very interesting.