Last week, Xbox fans finally had the chance to experience the highly awaited ROG Xbox Ally X handheld gaming console, which has been flying off the shelves. Best Buy is currently showing a 30-day delay for new orders, while the Microsoft store is entirely sold out. We’ve got an early review of the device, and on launch day, I also had the chance to meet with Sarah Bond, President of Xbox, at the Mashable office in New York City.

Bond covered several topics regarding Xbox, including what the Ally X indicates about Xbox’s future direction (quite a lot, as it turns out).

Bond also provided some captivating details about the upcoming Xbox console.

“Well, we are diligently working on our next-gen console,” Bond remarked. “There is much more to come as we are developing our next-gen console, which promises to deliver that premium experience, and that’s always central to what we do, but we also want to provide others with choices and options around that.”

Thus, the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X.

I also asked about rumors that the future Xbox console will be a more powerful machine, similar to a gaming PC rather than a conventional Xbox console.

“Well, I can confirm that you are correct; the next-gen console is going to be an exceptionally premium, high-end, curated experience. You’re beginning to see some of the concepts we have in this handheld. But I don’t want to reveal everything.”

So, what are those concepts? In our discussion, Bond indicated that Microsoft wants to allow users to play games from any store, anywhere, at any time. You can read my complete conversation with Bond to learn more. We also discussed how the new handheld integrates into Xbox’s larger strategy, Xbox’s stance on exclusive titles (or the lack thereof), and even the recent price hikes for Xbox consoles and Xbox Game Pass.

Being the president of Xbox — that’s got to be the coolest job title imaginable. I mean, your kids must think that’s the most amazing thing ever, right?

It is the coolest title. It’s also the coolest role. My kids do find it pretty awesome, but they’re always asking for things, naturally.

Oh, for sure, I can imagine they want to try the [ROG Xbox Ally], which we’ll discuss shortly, ahead of everyone else. They want all the games in advance…

Everything in advance. And they are genuinely great at giving me ideas and trying things out.

SEE ALSO: How Xbox president Sarah Bond became a significant figure in gaming

So, we’re obviously here to discuss an exciting new gadget. I know we’ve been anticipating this one for years. Tell me more about this device.

This is the Xbox Ally. It is the first time we have developed an Xbox handheld. The teams collaborated with Asus and Windows to create this product. It’s truly groundbreaking in numerous aspects. We focused on ergonomics, experience — everything. Now you can finally take Xbox with you wherever you go, in the palm of your hand.

It feels like Xbox controllers in your hands, certainly a bit heavier due to the extra hardware, but it maintains that familiar Xbox sensation. Moreover, it also functions as a fully powered Windows gaming laptop in a sense.

When you hold it and close your eyes, it resembles an Xbox controller, and that’s by design. Our hardware team worked closely with Asus on all elements of ergonomics, feel, triggers, and buttons to provide that really comfortable sensation you get with an Xbox controller, allowing you to game for countless hours.

So, you can easily pick it up for a quick session or enjoy a lengthy gameplay comfortably, but you’re correct; it is powered by Windows, which is an exciting feature… But because it runs Windows, any game you own, purchased from a PC store that’s on this device, will all appear in one unified library, which is fantastic for gamers. You won’t have to switch between various stores and locations. Everything is conveniently located for you here, all in one place.

Can you explain how this fits into Xbox’s broader strategic vision… So, why this? Why the handheld?

Well, we have always believed that players want to enjoy any game they choose, anywhere they desire, with anyone. Gaming is a form of entertainment. You should be able to carry it with you wherever you go. You shouldn’t be restricted to a single device. You shouldn’t be confined to a single store. This is the realization of that vision. Thus, we asked, why can’t we dismantle some of these antiquated barriers from the old industry norms and create a device that you can transport anywhere that has all of your games? You can play them natively, you can stream them from the cloud, and you can also stream them…