While there’s no official word about it yet, speculation suggests that Microsoft will release a brand new Xbox console by 2026. What makes it seemingly more powerful is the possible use of AI built into its foundation and core functioning.
This information partially comes from the recently leaked documents from the FTC versus Microsoft trial. Furthermore, the project was called ‘Brooklin,’ and originally planned to release around 2028.
Leaks Suggest a 2026 Release for the Next Xbox
According to the sources at TweakTown, the FTC versus Microsoft trial played a huge role in giving everyone details about Microsoft’s larger plans for the upcoming years. This includes a new Xbox console that was originally planned to be released in 2028. However, for some reason or another, there’s a new date to look forward to, which is sooner than expected.
Moreover, according to the leaks, there’s also a console codenamed ‘Brooklin’ that would be like a variant of the Series X but digital-only. The design suggests a cylindrical console. While there’s no telling whether these leaks and speculations are true, there’s one thing that stands out: the implementation of AI into the console’s very foundations.
Based on the speculations, the console will use software over hardware to its best potential. Meaning, we can expect AI to be an integral part of how the console harnesses a truly next-gen approach to gaming as we know it.
Gamers can expect the new console to make use of an ARM64 CPU instead of the much-expected x64 CPU. This seemingly works better for this integration. We’ll have to wait and watch until we have a deeper look at this, perhaps even a reveal for next-gen optimization, and how it shapes the gaming industry further.
At the time of writing, it’s not clear how the new console will use AI to improve gamers’ performance, but recent partnerships at Xbox have given us a couple of hints to ponder over. This includes everything from making games to how we play them.
Microsoft Has Been Making Big Moves With Xbox and AI Integrations
Not too long ago, Microsoft announced a partnership with Inworld AI. This shared vision would ideally change the way game developers and designers approach NPCs and character dialogue within huge virtual worlds. So much so that the toolkit would become a core part of the game development process and make life easier for everyone involved.
Essentially, this also helps a game’s scripting. For instance, the person in charge can assign certain quest markers and tasks to artificial intelligence instead of manually writing and building everything. This makes it easier to enhance the narrative experience of the game rather than working on everything from scratch.
This wasn’t taken too well by the community, as people questioned the ethics and quality of involving AI at such a core level. After all, many gamers are aware of how bloated and soulless virtual worlds can feel when the writing and design are lackluster.
On the bright side, this has more to do with the process of game-making itself than optimizing games. However, considering how active Microsoft has been in implementing the supposedly best use of AI into their different platforms, it’s a daunting feeling to see how it scales up. Especially when an entire console is dedicated to making use of AI in order to run games.
Finally, this also means a strong move for the future of Xbox Cloud Gaming and related cloud-based services. If the speculations suggest that the new console may be digital-only, it will make sense for the console to prioritize faster downloads, lag-free streaming, and familiar accessibility options like remote play (as seen with PlayStation users).
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