Key facts
- Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is prioritizing affordability for the next-generation console.
- Rising hardware costs, driven by AI spending, are impacting console component prices.
- Xbox plans to offer digital entitlements for 1,000 physical game titles.
- The company aims to ensure players can play older games on future hardware.
- The next-generation console is codenamed Project Helix.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has indicated that the company is prioritizing affordability for its upcoming next-generation console, citing a 'crisis' in computing prices. In an interview with the BBC, Sharma explained that the escalating cost of hardware components, partly fueled by significant AI spending from companies like Microsoft, necessitates a focus on efficiency and affordability alongside performance.
Sharma also revealed that Xbox is developing a system to provide digital entitlements for physical games. This initiative will initially cover 1,000 titles, potentially allowing players to access digital versions of games they already own on physical discs. While the exact transfer process for second-hand discs remains unclear, Sharma suggested this move aligns with Xbox's long-standing commitment to backward compatibility, enabling older titles to be played on future console generations.