Epic Games Store Head: 'We Plan to be on the New Hardware for Xbox' - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 06 February 2026 / 5,945 Views
Epic Games Store head Steve Allison in an interview with Game File said they plan to have the store available on the next-generation Xbox.
"We definitely plan to be on the new hardware for Xbox, because, unless their policy or stance on it changes, they are telling us they’re going to welcome that," said Allison. "And we’re going be there, like, on day one. That will probably require us to build in whatever their requirements are, some sort of software to support that."
The ROG Xbox Ally with its UI provides quick access to the Xbox marketplace, Steam, and the Ubisoft store, however, there is no Epic Games Store app yet, but the company plans on working on it.
"We haven’t built the apps for those that we need to build," he said. Epic's priority is to improve the player experience for the store and launcher. He added, "I would love to see us on the handhelds."
The next-generation Xbox could launch as soon as 2027, according to AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su earlier this week.
"Development of Microsoft's next-gen Xbox featuring an AMD semi-custom SoC is progressing well to support a launch in 2027," said Su at the time.
Xbox president Sarah Bond in October 2025 stated the next-generation Xbox will be a more premium device that is more of a hybrid between a PC and a console.
"I can tell you that the next-gen console is gonna be a very premium, very high-end curated experience," said Bond. "You're starting to see some of the thinking we have in this handheld (ROG Xbox Ally), but i don't want to give it all away."
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
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Why wouldn't you be on the next Xbox? It's a PC.
If priced reasonably, then Microsoft could really gain an upper-hand on Sony— being able to play all those Sony first-party experiences through Steam on Xbox would be massive.
Knowing Microsoft (and really the tech industry as a whole), however, I know that anything with solid specs will cost nothing short of $1,000USD. The Xbox portable device has already hit this price… I can’t even imagine how expensive the next Xbox will be.
That said: I don’t think next gen Xbox hits 10mil hardware sales if it costs over $1,500USD. Not a chance. This current generation really was Xbox’s last.
It won't get anywhere near 10mm units is the price is $1500 or more. It won't even get to 5mm, if that's the price.
My guess, and it is truly just a guess, is they'll bring this thing in at $899 for the base model. Certainly no more than $999. I don't know what kind of specs it will have. But, they ain't gonna break through$1000 for the entry point.
Given the two recent price hikes on Xbox hardware it appears that MS is not going to subsidize hardware going forward anyways, especially with execs saying the next hardware would be a premium product. This thing is certainly not going to be cheap.
Handhelds cost more to make then a traditional console
Next Xbox wont be a traditional console though
Its a console that will be no different to how a PS5/XSX is made, only difference is the operating system
The closed nature is what defines a console. The Operating system is what creates that closed nature.
At least a the basic understanding of consoles is required here to be taken seriously.
A console is made like a PC. Infact they use PC parts. Only thing that changes is the operating system, opened or closed. The next Xbox is a console with a PC operating system. You won't even tell the difference between the console looks and feel.
So since handhelds cost more than a traditional console as you put it, how much do you predict this "console" to retail for?
A handheld at the same level of a console interms of preformance will cost more. A laptop equivalent to a desktop normally costs more.
The next Xbox will be based on the parts it uses, same for the PS6 etc.
Okay and what do you predict MS to price its new console/hybrid?
My opinion? Around the PS5 Pro price point
$300USD less than the handheld?
Dont see why not. RoG Ally was designed as a low selling, high end hand held. Home consoles sales targets will be much higher so the price point won't need to be as high. Plus it doesn't need to worry about Screens, Batteries etc.
So the 2TB Series X is now going for $799.99 US and the PS5 Pro which is also 2TB goes for $749.99 US and you think MS is going to launch the new Magnus Premium hybrid "console" for around the same price after Sara Bond specifically saying it was going to be a very premium, very high end experience? After all the price hikes, PC component cost raises, tariffs etc you believe MS is going to subsidize all that and just release it for $749.99 US? Wow.
The Series X was the Premium console this generation so ill assume the next Xbox will aim for the same thing.
It really all depends what specs they want to use, no different to Sony's next PS6. Both console prices will depend on the hardware. Example is it equivalent to a 5060 or a 5070 etc
The Xbox portable is just an Asus portable, it's not a Microsoft device, it's an Asus device with Microsoft branding.
Asus being a hardware manufacturer tends to turn a profit on all it's hardware sales... They wouldn't survive as a company if they only broke even or subsidized it's hardware.
Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo however make money on software and services... Microsoft will likely obtain a % of sales on 3rd party stores on it's hardware platform. (Industry standard is about 30%)
The real question is whether I will get the 100s of PC games that I have on Epic store on the next Xbox?
If yes, that's insanely appealing prospect as a PC gamer considering the years and years of free games I have accrued.
...But I still won't buy the next Xbox if it doesn't have an optical drive for my Original Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Xbox Series X physical games... I don't care about price, I don't even care about 3rd party stores.
But I do care about playing my already substantial physical games library.
Yes the industry standard on is 30% for software between a platform and a third party. Where are you getting that MS would get a % from a third party store? Valve or Epic is not going to pay 30% to MS for having their store on their platform when MS is the one asking them and needing them on their platform. Why would they do that when they get their cuts from their own stores. Valve or Epic don't need MS, it's the other way around. In fact MS should be paying them to have their stores on a "Xbox" platform just to help market the new hardware.
Microsoft pays EA to bundle EA Play into Gamepass.
But then Microsoft receives a 30% cut from all DLC and Game sales through EA Play on Xbox, so they come out financially ahead.
Same goes for Ubisoft uPlay... And one would assume that same standard would carry over to Epic Store and other fronts.
Okay so you do agree that MS pays them (EA & UBI) for their stores initially then so my point still stands that MS should be paying Valve and Epic for the use of their store.
Sure, MS would get a cut from EA and Ubisoft game sales because EA and UBI published and developed those games but you don't know if MS comes out of that financially ahead or not because you don't know how much MS is paying for those services.
Lastly, Why would we assume that standard would carry over when Epic and Valve are not the primary publisher or developer of 99% of the games that are on that storefront? Valve and Epic are a platform in itself and get 30% or 12% or whatever the deal is with a random developer for them putting their game on Steam and the Epic Game Store. Valve or Epic is then not going to give a 30% rip from whatever % they initially got the developer to MS. It's not going to work that way and there is no industry standard that says it does.
It's in Microsoft's best interest to accrue a volume of sales, then later build profit margins.
Microsoft receives a cut of everything sold on Xbox.
That will continue with additional store fronts coming to the platform, how much that cut will end up being is anyone's guess and may be contractually different from storefront to storefront.
But no way will Microsoft enable 3rd party stores on Xbox if there is no money to be made, it costs money for Microsoft to open up it's platform and support 3rd party software.
This is what many don't understand
Exactly! Steam already gets the max % on the PC platform for game sales. Gabe is not on the phone offering Phil a % just to get the Steam app on what's going to be a low selling hardware when they have the Steam console coming out soon. MS needs other storefronts to sell their hardware, not the other way around.
If they pick a different store front , it means a smaller cut for Xbox on game sales. Which in turn means they will have to find other ways to monetize the end user. Some of that, will undoubtedly be put on the hardware itself. Then factor in the higher rumored specs than PS6, launching early, without a solution to the ram prices.... yeah get ready for your 1500$ pc xbox.
PC has it's own issues, because of there being so many hardware component mixtures, there is overhead left on the table (efficiency) and there is stuff like Shader compilation issues, which cause stuttering ect. Things that you can avoid on a console with fixed hardware. Not to mention how demanding windows can be (resource hog). The only upside is you can also do everything else a pc can do. However, that will also have some effects.... like how rampant cheating is on PC. Get ready for a huge spike in cheating on xbox.
There are no Boxes with X's, Johnny! Only desktops with Xbox stickers!
Its a PC. Not a console. Clearly. I think the messaging on this has been pretty bad coming from both AMD and from Microsoft. Its a PC that can emulate Xbox One and Xbox Series Games. The real question is whether the emulation will be locked to this device or if Microsoft will allow all Windows 11 PC's to emulate Xbox games. That would be interesting in and of itself.
Emulating the Xbox Series X / S on Windows 11 is a not about "allowing" it only.; while the Series X/S, Play Station out are very similar to PC architecture, it would still require some dedicated hardware to achieve that and this would definitely not be a product most people would be interrested in (like a card you add inside your PC). So, this is very unlikely
Agreed. You can't just emulate it that would be a licensing nightmare. There is hardware involved I assume that is making all of this legal.
Emulation may not be straight forward but if its running Epic and Steam games... its a PC.
? Yes it is a PC… But if it runs Xbox games (console binaries) the SOC will have dedicated hardware to do that. There is no way you can emulate a Series X or even S without it.
What you as asking for is simply not doable unless they also have some dedicated hardware (and if the new Xbox can do that then it will have that hardware). So no, Microsoft can just chose to ‘allow’ windows 11 user to run Xbox games…
Are Microsoft allowed to unilaterally make a PC that can emulate all Xbox games even?
Like, I don't think they can just sell a third party game on Xbox console and then give the software to play that game on a PC.
If you think about it this is what console gamers want. They want the ability to customize their game settings anyway they like, they want the same games, they want the performance, they want free online, they want to have all mods, they want better game sales, they want backwards compatibility, they don't want to pay for game upgrades. It's almost like they want to be a PC gamer, but not game on PC.
Xbox: "😬"
And still no one will use the Epic Store lol
I don't feel bad in the slightest. They're not trying to be the good guys, they're just trying to get more users. The client has barely improved at all in years, it's obvious Epic doesn't care about it, because it's doesn't bring in money directly or increase user counts. I applaud Epic for the free games, but that's the only good thing they've done (aside from Alan Wake II and probably some smaller titles).
I bet my arse that you'd still need to pay to play online. Just get a PC at this point
if its a pc then we dont want to be forced into paying for online
If Xbox is getting shafted on game sales cut's by 3rd party stores (epic,steam...ect) , and also having to drop "paid online"..... why would they even bother with a console ? That has to be the vast majority of what brings in profits for a console maker.
I have a couple questions
1) Why would I buy the next-gen Xbox?
2) If I did, why would I use EGS on it instead Xbox Marketplace?
If I had to guess I think the next Xbox will have 2 settings, an Xbox setting and a PC desktop setting. And just like the app on the ROG Ally it will allow you to launch Steam and other game apps from the Xbox setting. I think this is when finally consoles will give you full access to customize your games the same way PC gamers can instead of a basic performance and graphics mode.
Probably more inline with the Xbox RoG Ally i would guess
It's either that or a dedicated Xbox setting carrying over the UI from the Xbox Series. The Xbox app on PC honestly sucks, so if they do use it they really need to improve it before then. Though they have 2 years so maybe they can do it.
Competition for digitial market places is needed but I'm not sure what impact Epic store will make on Nextbox when they are fan from market leaders.
