Technological advancement will always be the center of the gaming landscape’s focus. Each game and title released follows the movement of consoles, ensuring players can always get something new and exciting in the market.
So far, gamers have seen a lot of innovations and developers’ creativity as technology advances. In states where online poker is legal, live poker tables felt like a giant leap. Now, where will technology and the gaming industry bring gamers next? Here’s why Xbox might be leading the next technical leap in the gaming landscape.
Early Rumors
There were many rumors exchanged about the release date of the upcoming next-gen Xbox console. In early 2024, several sources stated that the console would be ready by 2025 or 2026. However, it wasn’t correct. Leak had also reported that the console would instead be released in 2028, but there was no confirmation that gave gamers the exact release year.
However, Sarah Bond, the Xbox President, had shared something about what players can expect from the new Xbox generation. In early 2024, Bond stated that the next-gen Xbox will be a gaming console with, possibly, the biggest technical leap in the entire hardware generation. It was a statement that turned all attention to the next-gen Xbox and whether this promise would be fulfilled or not when the console enters the market.
Bond also emphasized backward compatibility. Bond stated a concern about how much investment players have put into Xbox games, so their main goal going forward is to ensure that these players will be able to play the games they’ve purchased on the new hardware.
Another quality that seems to be shared by Bond is remote gameplay. This means that Xbox is aiming to make it easier for gamers to play one game using multiple devices. Overall, the focus of the next-gen Xbox is on utilizing advanced technology while increasing ease in gameplay.
There were also some leaks regarding machine learning and AI use by Microsoft to speed up the delivery of the next-gen console. The Microsoft team is looking to improve its operating system for high-resolution graphics and smoother gameplay. During these early reports, the next-gen Xbox console was estimated to be priced around $600 to $700, but it wasn’t confirmed by Microsoft yet.
The Biggest Hurdle: RAM Availability
OpenAI bought a massive amount of RAM, which is the main reason why the industry experienced a RAM shortage. OpenAI had recently entered a long-term deal with multiple companies, such as SK Hynix and Samsung, for a supply agreement. That way, OpenAI is allowed to buy as much as 40% of the global DRAM supply.
Sony, fortunately, had stocked up on RAM when its price dived. That ensures PlayStation got its RAM supply secured. One of the most affected companies might be Microsoft in this case. The company hadn’t planned when it came to RAM stocking.
If the demand for Xbox remains high, it’s likely that the next-gen console will arrive with an even higher price. The lack of RAM supply might also increase the current version of the Xbox. However, there’s also a chance that supply dries up entirely, and several Microsoft reps had warned that the Xbox Series consoles will be affected by it.
This isn’t good news for Xbox gamers, as the console has undergone two price changes over the years. It went up in May, and also went up for US buyers in September.
Next-Gen Xbox’s Release Is Likely Delayed
RAM shortage makes production struggle a lot. Cost becomes too high, and there’s not yet a way for Microsoft to tackle this problem. The only solution that Microsoft can use to ensure it can release the next-gen Xbox without making it too costly is to delay the release date.
The final intended release year was between 2027 and 2028. While waiting, Microsoft hopes that manufacturers find a way to handle the shortage and once again bring RAM prices back to normal.
This is a big hurdle for Microsoft, as they’ve teased gamers. With Bond saying that the next-gen Xbox is going to show the largest technical leap the hardware will ever see in its generation, expectations are high.
Pricing rumors have also circled consumers, estimating the final price of the new Xbox console to be around $800 – $1200 due to its targeted hardware specifications. The alleged reason behind this pricing is that Microsoft wanted to build a bridge between console and PC gaming costs.
Now, Microsoft can either wait until the price for RAM stabilizes or accept the massive cost and release the new console at a higher price. Both decisions are risky, and the market hasn’t yet seen a change in RAM supply, so Microsoft would likely have to see if things are getting better in 2027/2028.
