While there have been more than a few doubts about the future of Xbox gaming consoles, both due to waning hardware sales compared to systems like the Nintendo Switch and massive structural changes to Microsoft as a whole, the company could take full advantage of both high-powered next-generation technology and a healthy dose of nostalgia with the Xbox 720. Yes, that name has been memed beyond all belief, but with all that the modern age of gaming has managed to throw at the wall (and actually see enough stick), the wacky yet somehow sensible title of Xbox 720 may be just what Microsoft needs to put Xbox back in the front of the pack and fully reignite the notorious “console wars.”
Having a truly honest conversation, Microsoft’s naming trends for the Xbox video game consoles have been erratic at best and completely nonsensical more often than not. It all started with the original Xbox, released in 2001, which was a humble start to what would later evolve to the curiously named Xbox 360. One of the best-selling video game consoles of its time, the Xbox 360 fully put Microsoft in direct contention with Sony’s PlayStation console family and even Nintendo’s various game system offerings. Meme-worthy in its own right, the Xbox 360 was arguably a peak era of Microsoft within the realm of console gaming, and it could genuinely play into Xbox’s favor if the next console in the inconsistently-named hardware series were to hearken back to this golden age.
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Xbox 720 Could Be the Perfect Next Console Name for Microsoft
Countless jokes have been made about the irony of the third console in Microsoft’s catalog being named the Xbox One, and plenty of fans are still scratching their heads over the undeniably random leap to the Xbox Series X|S. So would it really be all that out of left field for Microsoft to turn their naming conventions around 360 degrees and wind up right back at the Xbox 720? Frankly, embracing the meme and bringing back the nostalgia of the olden days and the “console wars” could help Microsoft to climb back to the top of the hardware sales charts. Microsoft has already teased another major upgrade in terms of system capabilities for its next console, which will likely be a key selling point considering the impending release of the Steam Machine gaming system (aka “basically a PC”) and whatever Sony is cooking up with the PlayStation 6.
In 2025, the PS5 officially surpassed the Xbox 360 in sales, and despite Microsoft’s focus on online gaming and multi-platform releases, it would be illogical to think Xbox is going to take that defeat lying down. One of the greatest benefits of the Xbox 360 compared to the PS3 was the 360’s superior performance, especially with online gaming. So, if a potential Xbox 720 could revitalize that same prowess while also introducing more PC-like graphical fidelity and operating speeds, Microsoft could have a true champion ready to start a fresh slugfest with Sony.
Of course, very little is presently known about the next Xbox console, but if Microsoft can follow in the 360’s footsteps (and perhaps go full throttle with the 720 name), the company could once again become a strong competitor in the console gaming landscape. Simple inclusions like backwards compatibility, greater storage, and faster download speeds seem like no-brainer inclusions, but a potential Xbox 720 could have even more hidden up its sleeve if Microsoft is willing to prioritize innovation. Only time will tell if an Xbox 720 ever sees the light of day or if Microsoft is once again cooking up an off-the-wall name for the next Xbox system, but many are keeping their fingers crossed that whatever the company manages to release will be able to live up to the greatness of the Xbox 360.
