Microsoft wants all-digital Xbox Series X in 2024, next-gen "cloud hybrid" Xbox in 2028
Leaked documents submitted during the FTC v Microsoft case have laid out the company's hardware plans for the remainder of the decade.
A huge cache of documents that were submitted during the FTC v Microsoft case have leaked, providing an extensive look at the company's hardware plans for the remainder of the decade.
The documents (shared on X by Wario64), which include unredacted emails and hardware roadmaps, show Microsoft is planning to launch a refreshed, all-digital Xbox Series X in October 2024 that will feature more internal storage in the form of a 2TB SSD, a front-facing USB-C port with power delivery, faster Wi-FI, reduced power consumption, a more immersive controller, and what appears to be a cylindrical redesign.
"The most powerful Xbox ever"
The console is codenamed "Brooklin" and is described by Microsoft as the "most powerful Xbox ever, now adorably all digital." It will retail for $499—the same price as the current iteration of the Xbox Series X.
The revamped gamepad mentioned in that document is referred to as the "Sebile" and will include precision haptic feedback, quieter buttons, modular thumbsticks, a rechargeable and swappable battery, and an accelerometer.
In the longer-term, Microsoft outlined its next-generation hardware plans and said it wants to develop a "hybrid game platform capable of leveraging the combined power of the client and cloud to deliver deeper immersion and entirely new classes of game experiences."
The company indicated that unnamed "cloud hybrid games" console is slated to arrive in 2028 and could leverage an ARM CPU and a GPU co-designed or licensed by AMD.
Microsoft said it envisions the next-gen device as being "optimized for real time gameplay and creators," with the company adding it will "enable new levels of performance beyond the capabilities of the client hardware alone." The company also indicated "AI and ML enablement" will be used to optimize and accelerate game performance, operations, and development.
Game Developer has reached out to Microsoft for comment on the leaks.
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