A huge leak shows Microsoft is gearing up to release a range of new products next year.
Internal documents accidentally released in court filings reveal that a redesigned version of the Xbox Series X is set to be released in October 2024.
The new console will be cylindrical in shape – not cuboid like the current Series X – and is described as ‘all-digital’, meaning it will have no disc drive.
It will be followed by the release 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 to schedule, it would mark the first major Xbox product release since the original Series X and Series S hit the shops in November 2020.
Microsoft calls its upcoming revamp of Xbox Series X ‘the most powerful Xbox ever’ and ‘adorably all digital’ because it will not take discs
Details of the devices including images were accidentally revealed in a FTC v. Microsoft‘ court document, entitled ‘Roadmap to 2030’.
The document refers to the revamped version of Series X with the codename ‘Brooklin’.
The tech giant calls it ‘the most powerful Xbox ever’ and ‘adorably all digital’ because it will not take discs, instead relying on digital downloads to load games.
‘Brooklin will deliver 4K console gaming with more internal storage, faster Wi-Fi, reduced power, a more immersive controller and a beautiful redesign,’ it says.
According to the leak, the new cylindrical machine will also come with a USB-C port at the front and 2TB of storage, up from 1TB currently on the Series X.
Despite the storage boost, it will be sold at the ‘same great price’ as the Series X is already – $499 or £449.
Brooklin will hit the shops in October next year, according to the document, which will about five months after the release of the new ‘immersive’ controller.
Codenamed ‘Sebile’, the $69.99 (£56) controller will have a two-tone design, with a white top and black handles, 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) were released in November 2020. The leak suggests the new version of the Series X will be cylindrical, not cuboid
These handles will house haptic components that will provide tactile sensations such as vibrations during gameplay and also ‘double as speakers’.
Sebile will also have ‘quieter buttons and thumbsticks’ and be fitted with gyro sensors, which let the device track what direction the player is turning, for a more immersive experience.
It could mean that gamers 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 an push for ‘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’.
Lastly, Microsoft is also planning to release a revamped 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 be the same shape as its predecessor and renders suggest it looks pretty much the same.
Likewise, it will retail at the same price as the current Series S ($299/£249).
It will apparently be released in August 2024 – sandwiched in between the release dates of the Sebile controller and the Brooklin cylindrical console.
The new controller (‘Sebile’) will get a launch in May 2024. The updated version of the Series S (‘Ellewood’) will follow in August and the cylindrical Series X (‘Brooklin’) will come 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.
Microsoft said the Series X is the most powerful console it has ever made – featuring processing power twice that of the Xbox One X before it.
Both the Series X and Series S have backwards compatibility, which allows them to play games from older consoles.
Upon release in November 2020, the consoles went head-to-head with the PlayStation 5 from rival Sony.
A revamped version of PlayStation 5 is also rumoured to be arriving this year or next, but the PlayStation 6 isn’t expected until 2028 or later.
