Xbox Cloud Gaming update: Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox to feature multiple game stores Here’s what it means

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Xbox Cloud Gaming update: Sarah Bond, Microsoft’s Xbox president, has confirmed that the next-generation Xbox console won’t be tied to a single store or one device. This means that, unlike the current generation Xbox, which is tied to the company’s own store, gamers will be able to purchase, download and install new and existing titles from third-party platforms like Steam and Epic Games.

“This is all about building a gaming platform that’s always with you, so you can play the games you want across devices anywhere you want”, added Bond. She also said that the Xbox team is working closely with the company’s Windows team to ensure that it is “the number one platform for gaming.”

A few weeks ago, several publications and reviewers claimed that Windows handhelds offered much less performance than their SteamOS-powered counterparts. Microsoft seemed to be aware of the issue, and earlier this month, unveiled new Windows-powered ASUS ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, which offer an “immersive Xbox full screen experience” tailored specifically for handheld gaming.

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This new Xbox experience hides the desktop and taskbar and replaces and replaces it with a new UI that improves performance. The new Asus ROG Xbox Ally handhelds can also access other game stores like Steam, and now it looks like Microsoft will be giving the same treatment to the upcoming Xbox console.

In a minute-long video on YouTube, Xbox president Bond said that it is continuing its “strategic multi-year partnership” with AMD that includes making custom silicon “across a portfolio of devices”, including the next generation Xbox console and a portable gaming handheld.

Also, Microsoft has confirmed that the next generation Xbox will be “maintaining compatibility with your existing library of Xbox games”. This means that the newly launched Xbox Ally devices won’t be able to run games that don’t have a PC version, but the upcoming Xbox, which is rumoured to launch sometime in 2027, will be compatible with all titles, be it old or new.

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The duo is also expected to work together on building the next generation of Xbox Cloud Gaming. As for AMD, the chip maker is also joining hands with Sony to make a SoC for the PlayStation 6.