It's been half a decade since the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S debut (or at least it will be in a few months), and while Sony has recently launched a mid-generation refresh like the PlayStation 5 Pro, Microsoft has been relatively quiet on new hardware.

While the Xbox consoles combined are being handily outsold by PlayStation 5, Microsoft is seemingly more interested in putting the pieces in place for the next console generation, and wants to launch the new console in 2027.

That's according to a new report from Windows Central's Jez Corden, who suggests the system could be "closer to Windows than ever before".

Discussing the potential for an Xbox handheld to rival the Switch 2, Corden explains that the company is likely to partner with additional manufacturers rather than release its own 'Xboy', but that "Microsoft's internal successor to the Xbox Series X|S platform has been fully greenlit all the way up to CEO Satya Nadella".

"For now, I understand that Microsoft's next-gen hardware plans include a premium successor to the powerful Xbox Series X, alongside its own Xbox gaming handheld, and several new controller options. Tentatively, these new console devices are slated for 2027," Corden explains.