Xbox Prime: The new Next-Gen console in 2026?

Could the next generation of consoles arrive faster than we think, as early as next year? According to the latest rumors and gossip, Microsoft is getting active and could actually release Xbox Prime as early as 2026 with the new game Call of Duty as a launch title.

Xbox Prime next year?

Here it is It's already been five years since the new generation of consoles hit the market. Remember, that was in November 2020. Today, it's clear that the results remain quite mixed, especially on Microsoft's side with exclusives that are slow to come and relatively low sales of Xbox Series X/S consoles. The impression of already seen, as in 2001, when Microsoft had just launched into the industry or in 2014 on the PS4 and Xbox One generation.

Given this not very flattering observation, could Microsoft decide to take everyone by surprise by announcing the arrival of its next generation already? On average, a console has a lifespan of 7 years. But on Microsoft's side, this remains quite random:

• Xbox, 2001 – 2005 (4-year lifespan)
• Xbox 360, 2005 – 2013 (8-year lifespan)
• Xbox One, 2013 – 2020 (7-year lifespan)
• Xbox Series X/S, 2020 to present (5-year lifespan)

According to insider TheGhostOfHope, who specializes in In the leaks concerning Call of Duty, Microsoft would be preparing its new console and the latter would be scheduled for release in 2026. Still according to the insider, the new generation of Xbox would be an open secret in the video game industry, as the entire sector would already be aware of it. For the moment, the insider is not able to confirm if the name "Xbox Prime" is that of the console or the code name, as Project Scorpio had been at at the time.

In any case, if the information turns out to be true, there is a good chance that we will be able to know more soon. TheGhostOfHope confirms in any case that the next Call of Duty game should be a launch game, suggesting that the console would already be planned for November 2026.

As a reminder, at the end of 2024, Phil Spencer had confirmed that Microsoft would not offer intermediate consoles like the PS5 Pro. Microsoft should opt directly for a next-gen console. So, if these rumors turn out to be true, we would indeed be facing a new generation of consoles and not an intermediate model for the Xbox Series X/S.