Recently, Microsoft Xbox President Sarah Bond accepted an exclusive interview with Fortune magazine. She revealed some key information about the next generation Xbox console and future hardware development direction.

Reporter asked: In a future where playing anytime and anywhere has become a mainstream trend, will hardware still have strategic significance for Xbox?Bond said hardware remains "absolutely core" to Xbox's strategy.

She said: "Hardware is the absolute core of everything Xbox does. Because we know that Xbox's core player group, those who truly love Xbox, have deep emotions about the hardware experience. So we are working hard to develop the next generation of hardware that will bring a powerful experience and allow users to seamlessly carry their game library across devices."

Bond further explained the value of playing a library of games across devices, noting that next-generation hardware will further enhance this capability.She said: "While players still want to play their game library on the console, they also expect to be able to play on a computer or stream through the cloud. So the Xbox experience starts on the console but can be extended to any screen the user chooses. No matter where they are, players can take their game library, social community, personal identity and store services with them, achieving a consistent experience across platforms."

As for the recently widely circulated rumors that "the next generation of Xbox consoles may be open to Steam and Epic game stores", they have yet to be officially confirmed.But for the next generation of consoles and broader hardware layout, Microsoft has a firm commitment and will continue to invest.