Xbox has debunked a rumor that it has scrapped plans for its next console. This generation has been a bit wonky for Xbox. Although Microsoft successfully completed the acquisitions of ZeniMax AKA Bethesda and Activision this generation, it hasn't put the gas in their tank like they had seemingly hoped for. Xbox has laid off thousands of employees and cancelled games like Perfect Dark over the last few years, but this year in particular has been a bit of a bloodbath. While there are exciting things on the horizon such as the Xbox-branded Rog Ally, the price increases for things like Xbox Game Pass and the consoles themselves have really put a damper on things.
Earlier this summer, Xbox also confirmed it was working on its next console in partnership with AMD. It's expected that it will likely be released within the next two years, potentially in an effort to beat PS6 to market and gain an edge like it did with the Xbox 360. Rumors have also suggested it will be more PC-like in an effort to differentiate itself from the competition, potentially even allowing Xbox players to utilize Steam. As of right now, Xbox has yet to concretely define what its next-gen hardware will look like.
Xbox Confirms It's Working on Next Console, Despite Rumors
With all of that said, a rumor began circulating this weekend from a member of the gaming forum NeoGaf. The user, known as SneakersSO has been credited with correctly leaking Xbox information and was even considered to be a decent source by The Verge's Tom Warren, who is tapped into the space.
The latest rumor from SneakersSO claimed that plans for the next Xbox were "up in the air" and that steps to get this thing made and released soon were not being met. As a result, the leaker noted that Xbox would be pivoting to being more of a third-party publisher, something that has been speculated after seeing Xbox games make the jump to PS5.
However, Xbox has pushed back on this. The company provided a statement to Windows Central stating that it is continuing to invest in first-party hardware for Xbox, including consoles.
"We are actively investing in our future first-party consoles and devices designed, engineered and built by Xbox," reads the statement. For more details, the community can revisit our agreement announcement with AMD."
Of course, anything could change in the future, but given Microsoft is a publicly traded company, it would be extremely risky to say something like this if Microsoft truly didn't have plans to develop a new console still. Lying about stuff like this can open the company up to legal action, especially when it's something as big as the future of Xbox's viability. So it's safe to assume that Xbox is still indeed working on a new console.
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