One of the things that's been getting a lot of attention out of that massive Windows Central report on Xbox yesterday is that the next Xbox console is going to run "full bore Windows", which is actually something that was mentioned a few months ago by the same outlet.
In October, it was claimed that the next-gen console would allow you to exit out to Windows and access the likes of Steam and Epic Games Store if you wanted to, or you could just remain within the Xbox ecosystem instead.
Apparently this is "still the plan", and the next Xbox console's dashboard will be a customised version of the Xbox Full Screen Experience UI that's currently present on the ROG Xbox Ally handheld.
Here's an except from the latest report:
"In partnership with AMD, the next Xbox will utilize the Windows 11 "Full Screen Experience" with the Xbox PC app to deliver its console interface. Microsoft is working on major updates to the Xbox PC app to accommodate this, bringing it more closely in line with what Xbox console players will expect when engaging with a device on their TV, rather than at their desk."
As you can see, it's mentioned that "major updates" are in the works to try and transform the Xbox PC app into something that console players will be more accustomed to when playing on a TV.
That said, it does sound like the next Xbox console will finally mark a move away from the dashboard that's been used across the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S era, albeit not a massive departure from it. The jump from the Xbox 360 to the Xbox One was vast, for example, with the old Xbox 360 marketplace transforming into the new Microsoft Store in the process, but this time we assume the store will still align with the Series X|S heading into the next generation.
Who knows how it'll end up playing out, but hopefully it'll end up satisfying everyone when it arrives, and we can't wait to find out more. Unfortunately, it's been suggested in a separate report recently that a 2027 release date might be too ambitious in the face of RAM shortages.