Microsoft's Xbox next-generation plans include a premium successor to the Xbox Series X and a handheld that will reportedly launch in 2027.
In a new report shared today on WindowsCentral, it has been revealed that the internal successor to the Series X|S platform has been fully greenlit. As of now, Xbox next generation hardware plans include a premium successor to the Xbox Series X console that will launch in 2027, alongside a gaming handheld and multiple new controller options which will have direct-to-cloud connectivity and allow users to switch them between different devices. As previously rumored, next-generation consoles will be closer to PCs than ever before and will make it much easier for developers to port games from PC. Backward compatibility will also be available.
While the handheld system that will be part of Xbox next generation plans is still two years away from release, we will get a first taste of a portable experience later this year with an Xbox-branded handheld codenamed Keenan that is in the works with a PC gaming OEM. This handheld, according to WindowsCentral's report, will look markedly Xbox with the typical guide button and design sensibilities, and will likely run full Windows with the Microsoft Store and PC Game Pass as one of its main focuses.
Ever since Microsoft started releasing their former exclusives to other consoles, many have wondered if there are real Xbox next-generation plans. Judging from this report, it definitely looks like the company is not going to leave the hardware market anytime soon. If the new systems will indeed launch in 2027, it won't take long to see how they will deliver the largest technical leap teased a while back.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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