Recently, Mashable conducted an interview with Sarah Bond, president of Xbox, who indicated that the forthcoming Xbox console would deliver a premium, high-powered experience. Windows Central has now reported that the upcoming console “will indeed run full-bore Windows, featuring a TV-optimized, console-style experience on top.”

The next Xbox console aims to blend a traditional console experience with the benefits of cloud and PC gaming, allowing gamers to tap into a wider array of experiences and storefronts. This means players could access Steam and other gaming libraries, not just Xbox Game Pass or Xbox-compatible titles.

When Mashable questioned Bond regarding the speculations of the next Xbox resembling a gaming PC rather than a console, Bond replied, “Well, I can tell you you’re correct that the next-gen console is going to be a very premium, very high-end, curated experience. You’re beginning to see some of the concepts we have in this handheld. But I don’t want to disclose everything.”

Windows Central’s article, quoting “trusted sources” at Microsoft, confirmed that the console will provide a complete Windows gaming PC experience.

As Bond indicated to Mashable, the newly launched (and currently sold out) ROG Xbox Ally illustrates the general direction Xbox is pursuing. In the dialogue, Bond highlighted the importance of not confining players to a single storefront or type of experience and underscored the value of Xbox Play Anywhere titles and cross-platform games.

The ROG Xbox Ally takes on a handheld form that resembles an Xbox console, permitting users to toggle between the Xbox UI and a conventional Windows experience.

Some gamers were initially taken aback that the new ROG Xbox Ally incorporated tools such as Microsoft Teams and OneDrive. However, a tighter integration between Windows and Xbox makes sense, given their common parentage.

As Xbox shifts its emphasis away from exclusives, Bond referred to exclusives as “antiquated” during the interview; Xbox will require an OS that enables access to games beyond the Xbox ecosystem, and Windows would support this.

For those longing for major Xbox exclusives like Halo: Combat Evolved, this may be an unfulfilling direction. Nonetheless, considering the appeal of the ROG Xbox Ally and cloud gaming services such as Xbox Game Pass, despite recent price hikes, this could help safeguard Xbox for a new gaming era.

On the flip side, given the frequency of the term “premium” in discussions regarding the new Xbox, gamers should likely prepare for a steep price tag.