Next-gen Xbox will be a 'high-end, curated experience,' Xbox president hints AI is a major part

Xbox president Sarah Bond just re-confirmed that new Xbox hardware is on the way, and now she delivers a slight tease on what's to come with upcoming Xbox consoles.

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Despite rumors of the contrary, Microsoft is indeed working on a new Xbox console. Reports say that the new Xbox could be a hybrid device that switches between console and PC. Xbox management still won't give a definitive answer on this topic, but Xbox president Sarah Bond did give a response. When asked by Mashable tech editor Timothy Beck Werth if the next-gen console would be like a PC, the Xbox executive said:

"The next-gen console is going to be a very premium, very high-end curated experience. You're starting to see some of our thinking in this handheld, but I don't want to give it all away."

• Read more: Next-gen Xbox will be a first-party device designed by Microsoft, similar to other consoles
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• Read more: Next-gen Xbox hardware will have shared game libraries and storefronts, Microsoft reiterates

This could mean a lot of things, and isn't a great deterrent for the wild speculation that's happening in this space.

For example, Bond's words might mean that Microsoft won't be making the next Xbox themselves. The new Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are devices made by OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) ASUS. Did the Xbox president mean to say that the new Xbox consoles could also be made by ASUS and maybe other tech firms like Lenovo, GIGABYTE, and MSI? We've seen this before with Valve's failed Steam Machines concept, but Microsoft would be leading things this time around.

If this is the case, Microsoft could be off the hook for continuing to make hardware that doesn't sell at a profit.

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The more likely speculation is that AI will play a heavy hand in the next-gen Xbox. That feels like what Bond was referring to when she mentioned "curated".

We know that Microsoft has invested $80 billion AI infrastructure, and that Microsoft signed a multi-year deal with AMD for new Xbox hardware.

Microsoft officially defines its hardware plans as a "next-generation lineup across console, handheld, PC, cloud, and accessories."

Part of that deal is co-engineering agreement where AMD and Microsoft work together to make custom AI chips.

The new Xbox will use a custom SoC with AI built right onto the chip. But it's possible that both consoles may not use it. Based on previous comments from Bond on offering user choice, it's likely that the new range of Xbox's could come in different form factors and power profiles similar to the Xbox Series X/S lineup.

This is reflected in the Ally X handhelds; only the more expensive $1000 Xbox Ally X handheld uses AMD's special Ryzen AI chip.

Xbox architect Jason Ronald also confirmed that AI is a part of the new Xbox:

"Excited to continue our long term partnership with AMD on the next generation of Xbox consoles. Advancing the state of the art in silicon, rendering, AI, and immersive gameplay experiences, all while maintaining compatibility with your Xbox library," Ronald said in June, shortly after Microsoft announced its multi-year deal with AMD.

Microsoft is expected to make tremendous strides with its onboard CoPilot AI technology for Xbox, but most of the improvements from AI will be behind the scenes, culminating in new methodologies and technologies like those that Sony outlined in their new tech talk for the upcoming next-gen PlayStation 6.