There is no question whatsoever that Microsoft is the one console manufacturer that is starting to diversify where you can play its games. Not only do all first-party Xbox titles come to PC at this point, but Microsoft has also started to venture into cloud gaming with its xCloud service. Despite focusing on so many areas other than the Xbox console alone though, the company doesn't expect this coming generation to be the last one in which we'll see dedicated Xbox hardware.

In a discussion with Yahoo!, Xbox head Phil Spencer said that Microsoft is still planning internally for there to be a new generation of Xbox consoles after the Xbox Series X and S cycle has ended. "In terms of future hardware, absolutely I think we're going to see more console hardware down the road," Spencer said plainly. "Just like in video, just like in music, it's not that streaming has cut off device innovation. I think we'll continue to see that, and that's absolutely what we're planning for."

This news is surely comforting for those who are looking to continue purchasing new consoles in the future. While the gaming industry as a whole seems to be focusing more on game streaming (mega-corps in Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have all now committed in some way to that space), Xbox itself still sees dedicated hardware being relevant anywhere from five to ten years into the future.

It remains to be seen what the future will hold, but given the fact that consoles are developed so far in advance, it's safe to assume that there is an internal team within Xbox working on what the next hardware for the green brand will look like. Whether those devices are more iterative remains to be seen, but it sounds like November 10 won't be the final Xbox launch we'll ever see.