Leaked documents from the FTC investigation into the merger between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard (via Resetera) have revealed plans for a mid-gen refresh of the Xbox Series X | S and the console that will follow it. According to the documents, the Series revision is set for an announcement in June or July 2024, with the launches to follow by the end of the year. Meanwhile, the next-gen console is planned for 2028.
On the revision front, the Xbox Series S is planned to launch first, with a $299 1TB model to arrive towards the end of August 2024. A 2TB, all-digital Xbox Series X would then follow towards the end of October 2024, at a $499 price point. The staggered launch is intended to “enable dialog with different audiences” and “give the [Series S refresh] its own ‘moment’ earlier in the holiday timeframe to maximize sales”.
While the documents contain no images of the Series S refresh, the new Series X has a rounded design that appears somewhat reminiscent of the original PlayStation 3. There will also be a version of the new Series X that’s available via the Xbox Design Lab.
On the technology front, the new Xbox Series X retains the same power specifications, but those are combined with efficiencies that reduce overall electricity draw by 15% and reduces the standby electricity draw to just 20% of the current model. See all the details in the images below:
As for the next-gen console, details are fairly thin, and the documents seem more like ideation than concrete details. The most significant piece of information is the planned launch for 2028, but that’s coupled with some of the underlying technological decisions for the device, which were to take place this year. According to the documents, Microsoft is considering whether to co-design the GPU with AMD or simply licence its pre-existing hardware.
The company is also again looking to use the cloud to power games, as was planned with the Xbox One, while it’s exploring the use of emergent AI and machine learning technologies AI-powered game testing, procedural content generation, and much more. You can see all the details below:
These documents are just the latest to reveal Microsoft’s forward strategy for the current and next gen of Xbox hardware, as release plans for The Elder Scrolls VI were revealed just yesterday.
