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5h ago

Next Xbox Will Reportedly Run Windows, Open Storefronts, and Drop Multiplayer Fees

Windows Central’s sourcing outlines a premium, PC‑style Xbox that rethinks online access and software openness while remaining unconfirmed by Microsoft.

Xbox Play Anywhere on an Xbox Ally
Xbox devices
A gamer plays Hollow Knight: Silksong video game on the new ROG Xbox Ally X from ASUS and Xbox at the Xbox booth during the Gamescom video games trade fair at the Trade Fair Center in Cologne, western Germany, on the first day of the fair on August 20, 2025. The 2025 edition of the vast Gamescom trade fair in Cologne, Germany, had its opening night on August 19, 2025 and will be running from August 20 to 24, 2025. (Photo by Ina FASSBENDER / AFP) (Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Windows Central reports the next Xbox will run full Windows with an Xbox Full Screen Experience, letting users stay in a console‑like shell or switch to the desktop.
  • The device is said to allow third‑party PC storefronts such as Steam, Epic Games Store, and Battle.net alongside Xbox services.
  • Sources indicate Microsoft plans to remove the paid online multiplayer requirement on the new hardware, with current Xbox generations expected to keep the paywall.
  • The console is reported to offer broad backwards compatibility across Original Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Series X|S titles, with AI upscaling and frame‑gen technologies discussed.
  • Executives have characterized the hardware as a very premium experience, and reporting also notes tests of a free, ad‑supported Xbox Cloud Gaming tier, with pricing and launch timing still unannounced.