MS said something along these lines.
Take it up with them.
Lol. Rather, it is what you and many here have wanted/desired to interpret while you exhaust the mocking emojis with each one who dares to predict that MS is going to launch new hardware.
In fact, if there is something to take from MS's actions, it is that everything indicates that it will continue launching hardware (another thing is the idea, philosophy or strategy it has in mind for that hardware).
Plenty of people have speculated that Microsoft will get out of the hardware business, but I'm talking about those referencing that in response to the rumors of MS going multiplat. Folks who already believed that was going to happen are obviously strengthened in their position by that. But I get your point. I did not mean to suggest those folks don't exist, here or elsewhere.
I understood you, I just wanted to point out that there is an important group of people (here too) who defend and assure that there will NOT be a new MS console and therefore I understand the OP's reaction or wink.
That said. It is clear that believing or not that MS is going to launch new hardware is one issue and the viability or success of that hardware if it is launched without exclusives is another.
As I have said some times already. It all depends on what product MS wants. One with the potential to sell 40,50 or 60 million requires exclusives. For one that can reach 25-30 in 7 years of life, perhaps Gamepass will be enough.
It would be great if next week some light was shed on your hardware strategy.