Microsoft's next Xbox may run Windows: What it means for gamers

Microsoft's next-generation Xbox console will reportedly run a full version of Windows, essentially transforming the gaming experience by allowing players to access games from Steam, Epic Games, Battle.net, and other PC storefronts—not just Xbox's own ecosystem.

Citing "trusted sources" at Microsoft, Windows Central reported that the upcoming console will combine traditional console convenience with the openness of PC gaming, representing a dramatic departure from the walled-garden approach that has defined console gaming for decades.

Next Xbox: A hybrid console-PC experience

The console is said to offer a “full-bore Windows” experience with “a TV-optimized, console-style experience layered on top.” This means the device is expected to function like a traditional Xbox console out of the box, but users will have the option to access the underlying Windows operating system to install games and applications from any PC gaming platform.“Where the Xbox console will differ from a traditional Windows PC is that it will feel like a traditional Xbox console out of the box,” Windows Central reported. “The onboarding experience will be similar to what you get today on console, and if you choose, you can remain fully inside the Xbox ecosystem, never touching Windows itself,” it said.Players who want to venture beyond Xbox's ecosystem can exit to Windows to access games traditionally unavailable on Xbox consoles—including PlayStation exclusives that have been ported to PC, mouse-and-keyboard-focused titles like League of Legends, or classic games from platforms like GOG.

This means that gamers will be able to play PlayStation's PC titles—including God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, and Spider-Man—on an Xbox console by purchasing them through Steam or Epic Games Store.They'll also be able to play World of Warcraft via Battle.net, access thousands of indie games from itch.io, purchase titles from GOG, and install “practically any game that runs on Windows, giving you access to decades upon decades of content all on a single device,” according to the report.Meanwhile, Mashable claims that Sarah Bond, president of Xbox, described the next-generation console as offering “a very premium, very high-end, curated experience.”“Well, I can tell you you're right that the next-gen console is going to be a very premium, very high-end, curated experience. You're starting to see some of the thinking that we have in this handheld. But I don't want to give it all away,” she was quoted as saying.