Next Xbox launch planned for 2028, according to Microsoft documents

At least that was the understanding back in 2022

Microsoft seems to be planning the release of a Xbox Series X|S successor for 2028, according to a new document published in the context of the ongoing court proceedings between it and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). One document shows a chat log depicting the exchange of a few executives about plans for upcoming consoles from May 2022, Axios reports.

During the discussion between the executives, one member of the group asked if the new Xbox would continue to have fixed hardware standards or if the plans were going into a direction with more flexible hardware. One member responded that fixed hardware standards were very useful for developers, as they’re providing a clear goal for them to target, as opposed to the wild west that’s found on PC.

Microsoft seems to plan for Gen 10 consoles being launched in 2028 / Microsoft

Kevin Gammill, the corporate vice president of gaming ecosystems, then wrote that Microsoft had already started being more flexible in this regard with the Xbox One and Xbox One X and more recently with the Xbox Series X|S. He concluded that the company would need to be even more flexible in Gen 10, while still providing developers with the ability “to take advantage of unique hardware capabilities.”

That at least hints at Microsoft wanting to once again release different versions of its next Xbox console or perhaps making their console more modular akin to a PC.

Again, please note that this conversation was from May 2022, so over a year ago – Microsoft’s plans may have changed significantly in the meantime. However, it’s safe to say that the rumors about the company wanting to abandon hardware production due to Sony’s dominating market position were more than a little exaggerated.

Microsoft and Sony’s Gen 9 consoles, the Xbox Series X|S and PS5 respectively, launched in 2020. With successor products potentially being planned for 2028, their life cycles may be approaching the halfway point. Nintendo, as usual, is operating outside this cycle and seems to be set to release its successor to the Nintendo Switch in 2024.