Next gen Xbox console is going to be very expensive confirms Microsoft

Microsoft has made it very clear that the next gen Xbox is going to be very expensive, implying it will be similar to a high-end PC.

The future of Xbox has been clouded with uncertainty for a long time now, as the brand pivots to becoming a multi-platform publisher, not locked to one device. Microsoft previously announced they were making a next gen console but recently had to insist it was still in development, after rumours suggested it had been cancelled.

Xbox president Sarah Bond reiterated it is ‘100%’ committed to developing another console, which was previously (and still inexplicably) described as offering the ‘largest technical leap’ ever seen between hardware generations.

Bond has now spoken more about its plans for the next Xbox, confirming that it will be a ‘very premium’ product in the vein of a high-end PC.

In an interview with Mashable, to promote the ROG Xbox Ally X, Bond was asked about the rumours of it bridging the gap between consoles and PCs even further – presumably in relation to a recent leak around the Magnus APU.

‘I can tell you, you’re right,’ Bond said in response. ‘The next gen console is going to be a very premium, very high-end curated experience.

‘You’re starting to see some of the thinking we have in this handheld [ROG Xbox Ally X], but I don’t want to give it all away.’

While the wording, as usual with Microsoft executives, remains vague, it’s the closest we have to confirmation that the next Xbox will be a very powerful and very expensive piece of kit.

Long standing rumours suggest that the next Xbox will be more akin to an Xbox branded PC and that Microsoft is hoping to rival the PC gaming market with the new Xbox, rather than Sony’s PlayStation 6, which tracks with these comments.

The comparison to the ROG Xbox Ally X reinforces this, considering that is a PC handheld dressed in Xbox branding, and not technically a console.

With the ROG Xbox Ally X being £800 though, we dread to think how much the next Xbox home console will be. All signs point to it potentially coming out in 2027, around the same window as Sony’s next console, so you better start saving now if you’re interested.

The cost of Microsoft’s gaming offerings has been a hot topic over recent months, between the ROG Xbox Ally X and the price increase for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, but a new report claims the company has also bumped up the price of Xbox developer kits – the modified consoles needed by developers, to make games for the format.

According to an internal announcement seen by The Verge, the current Xbox dev kit is going up in price by 33% from $1,500 to $2,000 (£1,125 to £1,500).

‘The adjustment reflects macroeconomic developments,’ the announcement to Xbox developers reads, seen by the publication. ‘We remain committed to providing high-quality tools and support for your development efforts.’

Microsoft similarly blamed ‘changes in the macroneconomic environment’ when it raised the Xbox Series X price in the US recently, which seems to be a euphemism for US tariffs.

According to The Verge, the prices of dev kits are increasing across Europe as well, since it’s common for companies to increase prices everywhere, at least to some degree, in order to keep the US price rise to a minimum.

While Microsoft hasn’t commented on the hike publicly, it’s certainly not good news for indie developers who are already struggling for funding – and will likely deter them from releasing games on the platform.

So not only is the next Xbox going to be very expensive but the current one continues to find new ways to increase its price.

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