Microsoft is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the company, and as part of those celebrations, "Today" has provided an exclusive look at what it's calling a "secret Xbox lab" where the next generation of Xbox is being made.
Now, annoyingly, we can't embed the video in here at the time of writing as it's not on YouTube or any other social media platform as of yet, so we'll have to redirect you to the Today website - but the four-minute video is worth a watch!
In it, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer shows off the "secret Xbox lab" and it's revealed how a massive amount of effort goes into prototyping how a device feels and sounds. The narrator also hints at the next Xbox console during this:
"Spencer, taking us on an exclusive tour of their top secret gaming labs, where the next generation of Xbox is being crafted right now."
Later in the video, Spencer's office is shown off once again, and he hints that something on his shelf hasn't been revealed yet, but will be soon - and it's connected to a specific game. We're guessing its a DOOM: The Dark Ages custom controller that looks pretty awesome, and hoping it won't just be another social media giveaway when it arrives.
The Xbox handheld is mentioned too, with Phil Spencer telling Today that it's something the company is interested in, and the edge of a handheld does appear in the video very briefly - although it's hard to tell what it is.
Anyway, go and watch it for yourself - we'll wait here for you! Then, come back and tell us what you think in the comments.
What do you think Xbox is cooking up in this secret Xbox lab? Tell us down in the comments below.
[source today.com]
Comments 26
Said it a thousand times. Next gen Xbox is going to be something special, and I can't wait to see what they've been cooking up based on the exciting tidbits we know so far.
@Kaloudz Personally, I'm not fully convinced yet BUT Spencer saying they plan to beat Sony on features is VERY interesting I look forward to hearing more about it.
If Dear Mr. Phil Spencer comes up with a stronger flagship console, I'll be more than happy to buy next xbox, instead of PS6.
My funds ready.
I hope it turns out to be better, both on hardware and software wise.
...
I was preffered the very first xbox instead of PS2, years and years ago. I always been happy with it.
I am not interested in any type of hendheld, but can not wait for next beefy flagship xbox.
I am hoping that (especially software wise) it is going to be better console, unlike to xbox series x.
Expectation: cooking next xbox.
Reality: he is playing on actual consoles he supports - PlayStation and Switch.
@ozkrmz if its a traditional console SX successor it will definitely struggle more and will have less support.
Series gen if you think about it sold enough units to be supported properly with rare issues like wukong and BG3, it also still have exclusives and still has GP conversions and stacking.
Pretty sure next gen people will be remembering series as a relatively successful lol.
@Kaloudz only if its a PC-like hybrid. Then sure it will be very interesting.
Otherwise it will be more like Series X PRO. They dont have incentive to work on features and dont plant on selling it in droves as they have new multiplat strategy and marketing against console.
Ok so what internet sleuth is going to figure out the unannounced project on Phil's shelf?
Next gen Xbox 🤦🏻♂️ wasn’t this the generation they were meant to get back on top, tanking two generations while the competition have steamrolled them 😂. I certainly won’t be buying another but I will be playing some select titles mainly gears on PlayStation. Gamepass doesn’t interest me plus Phil may of saved Xbox at the beginning but now he is constantly changing direction every 5 minutes.
@Millionski I don't know. I think you may be pleasantly surprised when they finally lift the lid on what they have baking.
@abe_hikura Exactly why I'm excited. PS has some great features and I think the whole "most powerful hardware" race is over. It's not nearly as important as it used to be back in the X1 launch days. I think feature competitive is the way forward and I'm excited to see what they're cooking. It may also be that we finally get a unique dash experience rather than a cross gen shared one.
@abe_hikura They've been beating Sony on features and even had stuff like backwards compatibility and Auto HDR. The problem is that they've never delivered consistent exclusive games.
@Kaloudz its not the features. Their hardware team is great. SX is great. Its the marketing and exclusives that is a problem. Not sure they will reverse their “everything is xbox” campaign so they can sell more boxes
They could have the coolest console ever created, I mean I loved Xbox One X and Xbox Series X, but without consistent exclusive games it'll be DOA.
They've ruined the brand by putting their exclusives on competing consoles, so it really doesn't matter what they do.
They already had a console with more features and better features than PlayStation.
Smart Delivery.
Play Anywhere.
Game Pass.
Most powerful.
Cheapest (Series S)
Backwards compatibility
Auto HDR
VRR
BUT, they failed to deliver consistent exclusive games and so people largely skip Xbox.
@Kaloudz
I think you've converted my previously sceptical viewpoint and this reveal confirms
@TheGameThrifter
Timed exclusives is fine.
If they abandoned timed then that's a problem yeah.
It's like Hollywood with time windows of cinemas, then PVOD, then VOD then streaming. It works and offers the product to all persons at all price points/interest-levels over time.
The X was my 1st jump into the ecosystem, I love the series X. Form, UI is great, points, the lineup has been pretty iffy, but BC makes up for it.
Dear sweet pete, the controller is cheap junk, and apparently the elites are too
Don't cheap out on the controllers!
I've had a chance to visit factories like this and it's awesome they had a little tour of it. I think I can feel confident buying any device or building my own PC and it not being an Xbox after this video because it looks like I'll be able to play it in anything I want. I can finally let go but I don't wanna 😭 I've owned every Xbox, I don't wanna stop
After the PS5 Pro and Nintendo Switch 2, I'm honestly just interested in the price. If the next box is $700 then I'll just look up YouTube videos on building a PC.
I think Xbox already offers the best console on the market with the most value to gamers and they've factually had more game support than ever this generation (first and third party), but it's all worthless if Microsoft doesn't go hard with marketing which they NEVER do for consumer products. And the marketing they do do, doesn't do a great job of making the value their products offer clear. Then there's all their issues with global regions (supply chains and just having local servers and regional text to make the local language on the system). Xbox has more opportunity now than ever to get really aggressive with marketing and showcase how they offer the best ecosystem among the consoles with how much Sony and Nintendo have nickel and dimed their users this generation... and they just don't. It sucks because I really think Xbox, if any of the three this gen could, could attract a good number of brand new gamers in this very still market. Like they could have better positioned the Series S as the perfect FIRST console for people or an all in one entertainment box (similar to the Xbox One except it's far smaller and $200 cheaper at launch). But we really barely even got any marketing for the Series consoles like as early as 2022. Even Game Pass which they keep saying they want to grow, barely gets marketed for how great the value is. And when they do market they insist on just posting on THEIR socials, but won't shell out the money for all the ad space, commercial slots, collabs, product placement, and everything else that Nintendo and Sony does. They own some of the biggest games and barely even make it known that those are Xbox games (COD gets a pass for being a recent purchase, but Minecraft has been first party for a long time and it's so big around the world and they don't even make use of that to make Xbox more well known; it doesn't need to be exclusive but at least use it for marketing purposes).
But I am fairly confident in Microsoft's ability to ship fantastic console experiences. The Xbox engineering team blows me away. The Series S is an insane machine inside that tiny shell and the Series X does offer incredible power. Again my only real concern is pricing (tbh marketing is more Microsoft's concern).
@TheGiraffe timed are going away. Its always better to launch everywhere right away.
This year Doom, THPS3+4, OW2 and COD all day 1 on PS.
Fable was delayed and reportedly (rumored) to be day 1 on PS either.
There is no point and they showed they are willing to do day 1 on PS. Technically its in their power to make every single game a timed exclusive except COD - that could be good option like Sony does with PC.
@TheGameThrifter its not only exclusives. But if you dont have any, it has to be marketed based on something else. The problem is they dont market console at all and morevover aggressively push customer to not buy a console. Hence whatever they do next is DOA that will be bought only by fans or die hard GP audience.
@TheGameThrifter Well perhaps MS hasn't delivered as many games as they could but they have released more games than Sony has. Since Xbox series X have become hard to find I personally think it an indication that the next generation Xbox is on it's way reasonably soon. My guess is that the next generation Xbox will be revealed in late 2025 or 2026.
@Millionski
Aren't the big single player games like Starfield and Indy and Perfect Dark going to still be timed exclusives? Maybe I'm wrong
@TheGiraffe
Games like Star Field that launched exclusively, and before Xbox made its change to being a full blown multiplatform publisher dont really count in my eyes as being timed exclusive. If it was launched right now, you bess believe that the game would be multiplat.
Pretty much all games being made by the big studios, studios that are used to developing games for multiple platforms, such as ones acquired with Activision. Their games wil just launch everywhere day n date.
Games like South of Midnight, developed by a smal studio that had been developing the game only for Xbox the whole time... they aren't going to launch on PS5 (obviously the game is out, but I hope I am getting the idea across).
People online have been using exclusives as nothing but ammo for their list wars. Exclusives and 1st party games honestly make up like 1% of games that come out every year. And Astro Bot should be proof enough... you can have a literal Game of the Year wining quality game and it didn't bring in jack ***** for sales for games or consoles for Sony. Astro Bot sold 1.5 million copies.
Having Xbox make a console PC hybrid is the coolest most innovative thing they could do in the console space.
People are making way to big of a deal about getting to play PS games on Xbox through Steam, when it is all the other Steam games that would be the real game changer.
Along with al of the sales.
Plus I am really hoping Xbox keeps the Quick Resume feature, I love that and its something you cant get on any PC currently.
Lastly, what wil really be the colest part of a hybrif Xbox console... Game MODS! That would bring so much more value to Xbox being the only console that could mod its games. So if you had GTA6 on Xbox, you would be able to mod it, and you wouldnt be able to on PS6. Just saying
@TheGiraffe no point for MS anymore. Why delay when they can generate more money right away by releasing everywhere simultaneously.
MS made it clear they are not trying to bring people to their own platform anymore.
The only reason it have not happened yet with all games because some games were developed initially for xbox/pc only. And they probably want to smoothen the transition little bit so xboxers dont rage jump ship
@Millionski
You could be right. I'm going to try and get a much value and time out of my Series X as possible, especially churning game pass subs to try new biggies
Seeing as console generations are seeing massive diminishing returns between new generations now I’d rather wait another 5-8 years for new consoles.
The XSX and PS5 have plenty of life left in them.
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