Microsoft pushed back against claims that the future of Xbox hardware was uncertain, telling Windows Central it is “actively investing” in its next first-party consoles and devices. “We are actively investing in our future first-party consoles and devices designed, engineered and built by Xbox,“ the company said, and asked readers to revisit its agreement announcement with AMD for more context.
The chatter started with an insider known as SneakersSO on the NeoGAF forum, who made a post on the forum suggesting that “really concrete plans for actual MS Xbox HW went from being definitive, to up in the air, which was really startling given that this thing was meant to be out relatively soon.” The post also argued that the “future of Xbox” would be software-first, with cloud gaming becoming the home of the Xbox platform. Readers were warned to take that information with a grain of salt, but the thread stirred enough attention that Microsoft issued the statement to clarify the hardware angle.
SneakersSO additionally predicted more layoffs in Q1 2026 and suggested retailers might pull Xbox consoles from shelves. Microsoft did not respond to those specific points, and ConsolePCGaming.com has reached out to Microsoft for more detailed info.
Microsoft’s confirmation that it’s still funding first-party hardware should matter most to players who prefer buying consoles rather than relying solely on cloud gaming, and to developers planning for on-device performance. Please share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X and Bluesky.
