Next-Gen Xbox powered by Arm? Qualcomm’s job listing sparks big questions

The next-gen Xbox is still a mystery, but details are starting to leak. A recent job listing at Qualcomm, spotted by Thurrott, hinted that Xbox could be eyeing an Arm-based console.

These details, unsurprisingly, caught everyone’s attention this week. The listing job directly mentioned support for “next generation of Surface and Xbox products built on Snapdragon solutions.”

Here’s exactly what the job post said:

• Support the sell-in activities for the next generation of Surface and Xbox products built on Snapdragon solutions.
• Identify and promote strategic business opportunities for Qualcomm in these areas.
• Work with internal and external stakeholders, including legal, finance, business units, marketing, and field teams to help define the next generation Surface and Xbox portfolios.

On the surface, and what Thurrott pointed out, it sounds like Microsoft might be working on an Arm-based Xbox console. But that’s not the full story. Following the report, Windows Central’s Jez Corden reached out to sources familiar with the situation.

According to Corden’s sources, the next-gen Xbox systems are not being built on Snapdragon chips. The goal right now is to ensure maximum compatibility with existing game libraries, and Arm hardware simply can’t handle that yet.

No, Xbox isn’t looking at an Arm-powered console, here’s what you need to know

What the job listing likely refers to is work on Microsoft’s growing lineup of Arm-based Windows PCs, specifically the new Copilot+ Surface devices. Right now, these Snapdragon-powered machines can’t install many Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Play Anywhere titles from the Microsoft Store.

Microsoft is working to improve that experience, and Qualcomm is part of the effort. So NO, we’re not looking at an Arm-powered Xbox console anytime soon. Instead, this is about bringing the Xbox ecosystem — apps, Game Pass, and services — to Surface devices running Snapdragon.

Making next-gen hardware that breaks compatibility with thousands of existing Xbox games just isn’t a winning move — not now, and maybe not for a long while.