Microsoft is preparing the future of consoles and the Xbox ecosystem. We learn that Jason Ronald, known for his essential role in the development of the Xbox Series X|S, is promoted to “VP of Next Generation”.
An Xbox figure at the head of the next generation of consoles
Although his name may not mean anything to you, you nevertheless saw Jason Ronald in various videos during the Xbox Series X|S announcement. Very easily recognizable due to his very long beard, Jason Ronald was then “Director of Program Management” at the launch of the Xbox Series X|S, and had the task of explaining certain key functions of the new Xbox consoles, such as the SSD owner and technical architecture of the new Microsoft consoles.
The announcement of this new appointment did not come from Microsoft, but from Lenovo, expected to announce at CES a portable console that runs SteamOS. The event is scheduled for January 7 and will feature two guests, Pierre-Loup Griffais (Valve) as well as our famous Jason Ronald, who, according to Lenovo, will be introduced for the first time via his new position, “VP of Next Generation”. .
This appointment is a significant step for the Xbox division. With Ronald at the helm, Microsoft wanted to personify the future generation of Xbox hardware with a single figure that embodies it. Sony has its Marc Cerny, Microsoft will have its Jason Ronald.
Powerful, hybrid, home and portable consoles
In all likelihood, Jason Ronald has been tasked with driving Xbox's ambitions for next-gen consoles and services. With this announcement, Microsoft clearly shows that it is not wasting time and that it is already looking to the future while Sony, for its part, has just released the PS5 Pro.
We repeat, Xbox has confirmed that new consoles are in development. It is therefore not a surprise to see someone in charge of the hardware part of the project. This is all we know for the moment and Microsoft is careful not to give details on what is being prepared within its premises. But if you follow the news on Xboxygen, there are already some directions that we can guess about the next generation of the Xbox ecosystem.
- One of the leaked documents about Xbox strategy
- On the one hand, Xbox has stated several times in recent months that new consoles were in the works. In February 2024, Sarah Bond, president of Xbox, declared that her teams were working on “the achievement of the greatest technical advancement ever seen in a generation of hardware”.
- In September 2023, secret documents from Xbox teams leak and mention a “hybrid” console capable of combining the hardware capabilities of the machine with the power of the cloud. Microsoft also mentions technologies similar to what NVIDIA is doing today with DLSS, DLSS Frame-generation as well as its Reflex technology.
- The release of the new generation of Xbox consoles would be scheduled for 2028with the first devkits being sent to developers from 2027, according to the same documents. Shortly after, Xbox boss Phil Spencer declared that “a lot has changed” since the Xbox strategy was defined in the leaked documents, although we don't know exactly what.
- In November 2024, Phil Spencer confirms the development of a portable Xbox and believes that this type of device will not be available for a few years. It would indeed be a real console, and not a simple device for playing via the Cloud. “I think it’s very important to be able to play locally” Phil Spencer indicated during the summer of 2024.
We can therefore guess quite easily, Xbox intends to expand further into new devices, and this will involve home consoles as well as portable consoles. The first meeting is scheduled for the beginning of January, but we are also meeting between mid-January and the end of January for a new Xbox Developer Direct conference.
