A new Xbox - that's probably what many Microsoft fans are currently hoping for, as they look longingly at competitor Sony and its improved Playstation 5 Pro. There is no concrete information about a next-generation Xbox console. Microsoft would have to be much braver this time to avoid falling behind again.
It's enough to make you despair: Microsoft is bringing the most powerful Xbox to market to date, adding a budget model to the new console series and significantly expanding its own Game Pass subscription service - and yet console sales haven't really taken off. The Xbox Series X has lost the direct comparison with Sony's Playstation 5. By a landslide.
The numbers prove it. Sony dominates the current-gen console market despite initial difficulties, especially with regard to the lack of exclusive titles. This - and the sometimes controversial design - has not stopped fans from buying the Playstation 5 and, above all, from buying it often. Around 70 percent of the current-gen consoles sold, a total of almost 62 million, are Sony's console, only 30 percent (around 28 million units) go to Microsoft and the Xbox Series X|S.
The gap is enormous and, according to an analysis by the Wall Street Journal, roughly the same as the previous generation. With the Xbox One, Microsoft had already lost touch with the Playstation 4. In 2005, the Redmond-based company was on the right track: the duel between Sony's Playstation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 was evenly matched, which was surprising, as the previous generation (Xbox) clearly went to Sony (PS2). The reason was not necessarily Microsoft's strategy, but rather a blunder by Sony. There were difficulties in developing the PS3, the console came onto the market later, and Microsoft was able to exploit its time advantage.
In the past, Sony has always been one step ahead. And what about the future? It doesn't look particularly rosy at the moment if Microsoft continues down this path without making any changes. Something new is needed, and the company must, above all, show courage again with the new Xbox.
New Xbox: More power alone is not enough
Microsoft itself has apparently already recognized that it will be challenging if you just focus on console duels. The Xbox Group has responded by expanding the Game Pass and cloud gaming. Acquisitions of well-known development studios could lead to a turnaround, but the really popular games are still not exclusive to Xbox, especially since the launch with the pure Microsoft brands - such as Halo or Gears of War - was anything but successful.
As the largest video game provider on the market, Microsoft is a real powerhouse. Hardly any gaming fan can ignore the Xbox. The Redmond-based company is well prepared for what is to come. But a new Xbox with more power alone will not be enough to gain ground in the console battle. Instead, the company should be brave. The drastic changes in the games industry with its completely new focus for PC gamers could now be what Microsoft needs for the success of the Xbox. Here, the company has a significant advantage over Sony: with the Playstation, it fishes exclusively in the waters of console fans. Microsoft could do more.
It would therefore be consistent to act across target groups and Xbox should not be seen as a competing console, but as a gaming device, which brings the PC and console sectors together. The time is ripe for a real new Xbox. The time is ripe for innovation. The market has long been showing how it's done and is even giving Xbox a rough direction. With the Steam Deck, Valve proved how PC games can be made much more "console-like". The handheld sold millions of copies and ensured that numerous other electronics manufacturers jumped on the trend. Being able to play PC games in a small format has sparked a small revolution. Large stationary consoles are no longer the best way when it comes to beginner-friendly gaming. Nintendo had already understood that success requires more than just management, but a focus on real entertainment.
As a Windows company, Microsoft is in a good position to release a device with the new Xbox that can exploit the power of the operating system. Compatibility is the relevant key, as the Steam Deck had already shown, because a key point of criticism was the lack of support for some well-known and popular games. If Microsoft were to release a new Xbox that is a handheld and not a console, it could also exploit a price advantage over Sony. The Playstation 5 Pro already shows how deep console fans have to dig into their pockets to buy the latest gaming hardware.
Rumors point to Xbox handheld
It is not unlikely that Microsoft could actually pursue such a path. Rumours have it that the company has been working on the next generation of Xbox for a long time. The interim step with an "Xbox Series X Pro" was deliberately avoided, probably in order to free up resources that can now be invested in the future. It is completely unclear whether Microsoft will ultimately even enter into a duel with Sony and the Playstation. Although a classic new console is apparently also due to be released, the focus on a handheld seems much smarter. Valve and Nintendo would suddenly become competitors, and Microsoft could use the strengths of the Game Pass and the enormously extensive game library to appeal to new target groups. Basically, it would then be about launching the new Xbox - the handheld - as a format parallel to a Nintendo Switch 2. Microsoft should not forget that Nintendo has an enormous number of gaming brands in its portfolio. The new Xbox would not be a decision between Mario and Zelda or Forza or Halo, but a coexistence in which Microsoft has to convince with a powerful handheld console.
Meanwhile, Sony is throwing the Playstation 5 Pro first a new model as an intermediate step to the next generation. Microsoft, on the other hand, has three new models of the Xbox Series in the luggage, but none of them are technical developments.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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Xbox Series X - 1TB Digital Edition* |
549,99 EUR |
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Xbox Series S - 1TB - Robot White* |
399,99 EUR |
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The problem with Microsoft is that MS simply thinks that all it needs is the console and the games. Microsoft used to be a bit bolder. The X-Box 360 had the Kinect, which wasn't perfect and unfortunately was neglected by Microsoft. I used it for training. There were great sports programs on it. I found it great for doing cardio training, as I was suffering from panic attacks at the time and couldn't and didn't want to go to the gym. Currently, many manufacturers like Meta (Quest 3, Quest 3 S) are showing how innovation can be successful in terms of price, and that people buy it. Microsoft is more of a manufacturer that used to announce a lot of things, only to let them disappear into obscurity a short time later.
Thanks for the impressions!
The Kinect was actually a brave attempt - and not a bad one at all. Ultimately, it lacked any real use beyond pure motion games. The good idea was simply not developed further. Perhaps things would look different today after the success of the Nintendo Switch and the countless VR glasses if there were another similar system. The future of gaming will also be found to a large extent in simplicity - handhelds have shown us this impressively.