- Xbox is reportedly turning its next-gen console into a Windows gaming PC with access to a full console library
- Games from multiple storefronts such as Steam, Battle.net and Epic Games will reportedly be available
- It may not go down well with some consumers, especially due to the likelihood of a high starting price
There’s no denying that 2025 has been a truly surprising year for console fans, with Xbox at the center of controversy via ridiculous console price hikes, the new ROG Xbox Ally handheld that costs $999, and its exclusive franchises like Hello and Forza Horizon heading over to PlayStation – and it looks like the weird choices don’t stop there.
According to our friends at Windows Central, the next-gen Xbox console will essentially be a Windows gaming PC, with the full console library available along with access to games from multiple PC stores like Steam, without paying for online multiplayer.
All of this sounds good on paper, and I will very glad to see Microsoft and Xbox being the first to move away from the egregious forced subscription strategy for online multiplayer. It also means Xbox players get the best of both the PC and console worlds, but I have two questions.
What makes this so much different from a full-fledged gaming PC (in terms of software) and why would anyone choose this over a more powerful custom gaming PC (especially when it can cost at or above $1,000)?
Aside from a decent number of titles only available on Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, day one Game Pass games are also available on PC, mostly consisting of new AAA games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 or the latest Ninja Gaiden 4. Unless the hardware Xbox intends to use for its next-gen console is really close to what you’d find when building a gaming PC, it seems a bit extreme for Xbox to abandon the console brand it’s built over the years.
I’m well aware that Valve is reportedly doing the same with a supposed Steam console on the way, but it’s not the same situation. Xbox has been competing with PlayStation in the home console space for decades, and recent decisions, including the reported shift to what is essentially a gaming PC, could eliminate the console competition altogether.
It’s definitely worrying, especially if you’re like me who feels that PlayStation hasn’t tried hard in the last few years – I mean, that is if PlayStation doesn’t go and do the same thing that Xbox is allegedly doing here.
It all gets worse with what looks set to be a console run by Microsoft’s Windows 11 operating system, where ROG Xbox Ally’s ‘full screen experience’ will be fully exploited, with the ability to exit the mode and enter Windows. I can’t stress this enough, but Windows 11 has been a pain for me and other PC gamers, with degraded performance compared to SteamOS and other annoying bugs that ruin the whole experience.
I may be in the minority in thinking that this is not a good move by Xbox; I’m not against gamers being able to play whatever they want on any platform, but since PlayStation doesn’t have the same intentions as Xbox, I can only see this hurting the console competition.
It’s also worth noting that this rumor means premium pricing is almost a certainty, meaning there will no longer be any way to dive into ‘console’ games at an affordable price, and consumers certainly won’t be happy about it.
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