A major leak shows that Microsoft is preparing to launch a range of new products next year.
Internal documents accidentally published in court documents reveal that a redesigned version of the Xbox Series X will launch in October 2024.
The new console will be cylindrical in shape (not cuboidal like the current Series
It will be followed by the launch of a new immersive controller and a revamped version of the Series S with double the storage capacity, according to the leak.
If all goes according to plan, it would mark the first major launch of an Xbox product since the original Series X and S hit stores in November 2020.
Microsoft calls its upcoming Xbox Series
Details of the devices, including images, were accidentally revealed in an FTC court filing against Microsoft, titled “Roadmap to 2030.”
The document refers to the renewed version of the Series X with the codename ‘Brooklin’.
The tech giant calls it “the most powerful Xbox ever” and “adorably all-digital” because it doesn’t accept discs, instead relying on digital downloads to load games.
“Brooklin will offer 4K console gaming with more internal storage, faster Wi-Fi, reduced power, a more immersive controller, and a beautiful redesign,” he says.
According to the leak, the new cylindrical machine will also come with a USB-C port on the front and 2TB of storage, up from the Series X’s current 1TB.
Despite the increase in storage, it will sell at the “same great price” the Series X already has: $499 or £449.
Brooklin will hit stores in October next year, according to the document, which will arrive about five months after the launch of the new ‘immersive’ controller.
Codenamed ‘Sebile’, the $69.99 (£56) controller will feature a two-tone design, with a white top and black handles, as the images show.
Codenamed ‘Sebile’, the controller will have a two-tone design, with a white top and black handles.
Both the Xbox Series X (left) and Series S (right) launched in November 2020. The leak suggests that the new version of the Series
These handles will house haptic components that will provide tactile sensations, such as vibrations during gameplay, and will also “function as speakers.”
Sebile will also have “quieter buttons and joysticks” and will be equipped with gyroscopic sensors, which allow the device to track which direction the player is turning, for a more immersive experience.
It could mean that players playing a first-person shooter, for example, will be able to turn left or right to move their character, rather than moving the joystick.
And in an effort to achieve “sustainability” that could reduce e-waste, Sebile will be made from recyclable materials, have a swappable and rechargeable battery, and be capable of “repair and disassembly.”
Finally, Microsoft also plans to launch a refreshed version of the cheaper Series S, codenamed ‘Ellewood’, which will come with 1TB of storage (up from 500 on the current Series S).
Ellewood will have the same shape as its predecessor and renders suggest it looks more or less the same.
Additionally, it will be sold at the same price as the current Series S ($299/£249).
It will apparently launch in August 2024, sandwiched between the release dates of the Sebile controller and the Brooklin cylindrical console.
The new controller (‘Sebile’) will launch in May 2024. The updated version of the Series S (‘Ellewood’) will arrive in August and the cylindrical Series X (‘Brooklin’) will arrive in October.
The leak comes less than three years after Microsoft launched its Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, as joint successors to the Xbox One.
Microsoft said the Series X is the most powerful console it has ever made, with processing power twice that of the previous Xbox One X.
Both the Series X and Series S have backwards compatibility, allowing them to play games from older consoles.
Upon release in November 2020, the consoles went head-to-head with rival Sony’s PlayStation 5.
A revamped version of the PlayStation 5 is also rumored to be arriving this year or next, but the PlayStation 6 isn’t expected until 2028 or later.
