Reports are suggesting that the next-generation Xbox console may be made by the same team that developed the Microsoft Surface tablet. Jason Ronald, the person responsible for leading the development of the Xbox Series X|S and the Xbox One, is also reportedly not in charge of the team creating the upcoming console.
Microsoft will continue to make consoles
The latest rumor comes just days after Xbox CEO Phil Spencer reassured his team that there were no plans to stop making consoles and that Xbox would be part of the company’s strategy “that involves multiple kinds of devices” according to reporter Shannon Liao. According to Shpeshal_Nick on the latest XboxEra podcast, the next Xbox console even has a development team already. He added his voice to others who claim that “Jason Ronald is not leading on the next Xbox and the Surface team is doing it.”
Ronald led the development of the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, which were both beaten in sales by their PlayStation equivalents. A recent financial earnings presentation from Take-Two Interactive even suggested the PS5 has outsold the Series X|S on a scale of 2:1. Putting another team in charge of the new console to try and turn the Xbox’s future around would not be a surprise.
Numerous rumors over the past week have led to turmoil within the Xbox community. These have included claims that Xbox first-party games like Hi-Fi Rush, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Starfield, Sea of Thieves, Gears of War, and even Halo could be coming to other platforms like PS5. These then progressed to rumors that Microsoft would cease the production of consoles and take a third-party direction akin to that of Sega in the past.
While Spencer has addressed the latter rumors, the future of Microsoft’s games hasn’t been denied. He has confirmed that Microsoft will be “sharing more details . . . about our vision for the future of Xbox” this week.
