According to a huge leak, Microsoft will launch new Xbox consoles by the end of next year
A major leak shows that Microsoft is preparing to release a number of new products next year.
Internal documents accidentally leaked in court filings show that a redesigned version of the Xbox Series X is scheduled for release in October 2024.
The new console will have a cylindrical shape – not cuboid like the current Series X – and is described as “all-digital”, meaning it won’t have a disc drive.
According to the leak, there will be the release of a new immersive controller and a redesigned version of the Series S with double the storage capacity.
If all goes according to plan, it would be the first major Xbox product release since the release of the original Series X and Series S in November 2020.
Microsoft describes its upcoming overhaul of the Xbox Series
Details of the devices, including images, were accidentally revealed in an FTC court document against Microsoft titled “Roadmap to 2030.”
The document refers to the revised version of the Series X, codenamed “Brooklin”.
The tech giant calls it “the most powerful Xbox ever” and “adorably all-digital” as it doesn’t require discs, instead relying on digital downloads to load games.
“Brooklin will deliver 4K console gaming with more internal storage, faster Wi-Fi, reduced power consumption, a more immersive controller and a beautiful redesign,” it says.
According to the leak, the new cylindrical machine will also feature a front USB-C port and 2TB of storage, up from 1TB currently on the Series X.
Despite the storage expansion, it will sell for the “same great price” that the Series X already has – $499 or £449.
According to the document, Brooklin will go on sale in October next year, about five months after the release of the new “immersive” controller.
Codenamed “Sebile,” the $69.99 (£56) controller will feature a two-tone design with a white top and black grips, images show.
Codenamed “Sebile,” the controller will feature a two-tone design with a white top and black grips
Both the Xbox Series
These handles will house haptic components that create tactile sensations such as vibrations during gameplay and also act as speakers.
Sebile will also feature “quieter buttons and thumbsticks” and will be equipped with gyro sensors that will allow the device to track which direction the player is turning for a more immersive experience.
This could mean that players playing a first-person shooter, for example, will be able to turn left or right to move their character instead of moving the thumbstick.
And in a bid for “sustainability” that could reduce e-waste, Sebile will be made from recyclable materials, have a replaceable and rechargeable battery, and will be “repairable and dismantlable.”
Finally, Microsoft is also planning to release a redesigned version of the cheaper Series S, codenamed “Ellewood,” which will come with 1TB of storage (versus 500 for the current Series S).
Ellewood will have the same shape as its predecessor and the renders suggest it looks pretty much the same.
Likewise, it will be available at the same price as the current Series S ($299/£249).
It will apparently be released in August 2024 – sandwiched between the release dates of the Sebile controller and the cylindrical Brooklin console.
The new controller (“Sebile”) will come onto the market in May 2024. The updated version of the Series S (“Ellewood”) follows in August and the cylindrical Series X (“Brooklin”) arrives in October
The leak comes less than three years after Microsoft released its Xbox Series X and Series S consoles as joint successors to the Xbox One.
According to Microsoft, the Series
Both the Series X and Series S are backwards compatible, allowing them to play games from older consoles.
When released in November 2020, the consoles competed head-to-head with rival Sony’s PlayStation 5.
There are also rumors that there will be a remastered version of the PlayStation 5 this year or next, but the PlayStation 6 isn’t expected until 2028 or later.