Microsoft's next-generation Xbox console could be significantly more expensive than the upcoming PlayStation 6. According to insiders, the key factors behind the price increase are the use of the new AMD Magnus processor and support for third-party stores such as Steam and GOG. This is reported by WccfTech.
AMD Magnus is reportedly a large chiplet system that will provide flexibility in building both consoles and Xbox-branded gaming PCs. However, only the console version will support backward compatibility with previous Xbox generations. The PC version will not have this feature due to legal restrictions related to game licensing - publishers do not agree to automatically convert an Xbox license to a PC license.
Supporting third-party stores means Microsoft won't take the standard 30% cut of game sales that it takes from its own store. This will force the company to make up for the loss by increasing the price of the console itself. It's estimated that the next Xbox console could cost about twice as much as the PlayStation 6.
Sony, for its part, plans to release a system with support for 4K, 120 FPS and improved ray tracing, as well as a portable version that, according to preliminary specifications, will surpass the Xbox ROG Ally X and the base model of the PlayStation 5.
If the information is confirmed, the different development strategies of Xbox and PlayStation could significantly affect the next-generation console market.