Summary
- Rumors of an “Xbox Prime” console potentially launching in 2026 have been debunked by Xbox insider Jez Corden.
- In a tweet shortly after the rumor started gaining traction, Corden claimed that the entire situation was “made up”.
- However, he does also claim that it’s a possibility that a new Xbox console could launch in 2026, but that Xbox Prime isn’t a thing.
It seems a little bit early to be thinking about the next generation of consoles, but a rumor started on Monday by a Call of Duty insider called TheGhostOfHope suggested that Xbox is thinking two steps ahead. This particular rumor stated that a new console called “Xbox Prime” is being worked on behind the scenes at Microsoft, and that it’s currently planned to launch at some point in 2026, less than two years away.
It was a bit of a surprise, considering most people assumed the next PlayStation and Xbox would arrive around 2028, and the name “Xbox Prime” was a little too ridiculous to believe, even by Xbox standards. Regardless, this rumor picked up a bit of traction, despite nobody being able to corroborate it, until notable Xbox and Microsoft insider Jez Corden stepped in to firmly shut it down.
Xbox Insider Shoots Down Rumors About The Next Console
In a follow-up tweet by TheGhostOfHope, who was becoming increasingly worried about Microsoft lawyers potentially breaking their door down, Corden claims that they have no reason to panic as the rumor is “not true”, before then going on to state that “there’s no such thing as Xbox Prime launching in 2026.”
He later goes on to claim that the whole thing about the Xbox Prime is “made up”, but does admit that Xbox could release a new console in 2026 since there’s such a long timeframe between now and then. It’s definitely possible, and Xbox has become about as unpredictable as a massive gaming company can get these days, thanks to the underwhelming Xbox Series X and S, but the Xbox Prime sounds like it’s just complete rubbish.
Related
The Xbox Series S Was A Mistake
Yet another developer has spoken out about the underpowered console.
So, now the question is, what do we actually know about Xbox’s next-gen plans? For starters, we can likely assume that a new console will launch, as both Jez Corden and Phil Spencer have suggested, with the latter claiming that consoles are still part of its future, despite the company’s focus on cloud streaming and “gaming anywhere”.
We also know that a handheld console is planned to release alongside a new home console, with Phil Spencer yet again confirming that prototypes are in the works, though the wait for that will be a few years at least. That’s about it for any confirmed plans for next-gen, though with Xbox releasing pretty much all of its big exclusives this year on PlayStation, it’s a little difficult to get a good idea of what Xbox is going to do next.
Xbox Series X
Launched in 2020 in conjunction with the Xbox Series S digital-only console, the Series X is the disc version of Microsoft’s premier gaming platform.