Reports from internal chat logs, surfaced during a recent court case, suggest Microsoft have chosen 2028 for the release of a next-generation Xbox console.
They were revealed as part of the US Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) attempt to block the takeover of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft.
As recently as May last year, Microsoft executives including Phil Spencer and Satay Nadella were part of a discussion revolving around the next-gen Xbox. A 2028 date was circulated with reference to ‘gen 10.’
VP of Immersive Experiences, Anuj Gosali asked if Microsoft would continue providing console developers with fixture hardware standards.
“One of the things consoles have been really great at is giving a very clear platform target for developers, and [Game Development Kit] has been really good at this. Is the plan for 2028 to keep that [illegible] like model or force a Windows like flexible/capabilities like model?”
VP of Gaming Ecosystems, Kevin Gammill answered with “We have already started this journey with Xbox One and Xbox One X, furthering it in Series S | X.”
“We need to be even more flexible going forward with gen 10, but also provide the ability for creators to take advantage of unique hardware capabilities.”
A 2028 date for the next generation Xbox gives the Series S and X five more years at the top, totaling eight years overall.
With nothing currently confirmed, it’s possible these plans could be altered, as these chat logs took place over a year ago.