These new consoles are expected to arrive in stores around the 25th anniversary of the launch of the first Xbox, on November 15, 2026, and take advantage of/generate the excitement surrounding this event. Their development would occupy the Xbox division full time, which intends to mark the occasion with two proposals likely to revive the interest of developers and players in the Xbox universe.
Ultra-powerful living room Xbox in 2026?££££
The living room console would take over from the Series X without going through the "mid-gen" box like the Xbox One S/X and PS4 Pro of the previous generation, or the PS5 Pro unveiled recently by Sony (see our official PS5 Pro news: increased performance, 8K compatible and €800). Thus, the Xbox team would intend to present a console that could cause a sensation, significantly more powerful than the current Series X.
Portable Xbox like the Steam Deck ?££££
On the other hand, Microsoft has been closely monitoring the evolution of the video game market since the appearance of the Steam Deck console, quickly joined by the Rog Ally signed Asus, the Claw at MSI, the Lenovo Legion Go, the OneXPlayer, the Ayaneo, the Zotac Zone, the Razer Edge… If they are all inspired by the Nintendo Switch concept, they are capable of providing access to all PC games and the main Cloud Gaming platforms, in addition to excellent retrogaming capabilities.
That's good, Microsoft is a key player in the Cloud Gaming market with the GamePass Ultimate service on Xbox and PC, in the console market with its Xbox consoles and in the PC market of course. The Redmond firm therefore masters all the ingredients necessary for a portable video game offer. This could therefore well arrive in 2026 with a portable Xbox console.
In short, Microsoft, which lost the Xbox Series S/X-PS5 battle, has not lost the console war. The American giant intends to remain a major player in this market, especially if the next one is an opportunity to demonstrate its know-how in network and remote gaming.