The roadmap and planned features for an apparently digital-only Xbox Series X mid-gen refresh as well as plans for the next-gen Xbox console have been leaked.
A large amount of highly confidential and unredacted Microsoft documents have been leaked via the FTC vs Microsoft case. They were attached to a single file and incorrectly hidden before being posted publicly. This error on Microsoft’s part that has revealed the roadmap and planned features for the apparently digital-only Xbox Series X mid-gen refresh as well as plans for the next-gen Xbox console.
Based on the leaked information, the mid-gen Xbox Series X refresh (codenamed Brooklyn) will be the most powerful Xbox ever, and will be digital-only. Brooklyn will deliver 4K Gen9 console gaming with more internal storage, faster Wi-Fi, reduced power, a more immersive controller and a beautiful redesign that elevates the all-dig ital experience of the Xbox ecosystem. The new console will also offer more internal storage for games, with 2TB of storage space. It will also feature USB-C front port with power delivery, among other updated technologies.
In terms of hardware upgrades, the digital-only Xbox Series X mid-gen refresh will feature an all-new southbridge to modernize IO and sustainability efforts. The console will also come with Wi-Fi 6E radio for better internet throughput, latency, and interference mitigation. The Bluetooth module has also been upgraded to BT 5.2 radio for improved accessory experiences. The console’s APU is a 6nm die shrink for improved efficiency. Other improvements in relation to general sustainability include a 15% reduction in PSU power, new low-power standby mode that is 20% more efficient that the current XSS standby mode, increased use of PCR on housing to >30%, and 100% recyclable packaging.
As for the updated Xbox controller, it features precision haptic feedback, VCA haptics as speakers, an accelerometer, quieter buttons and thumbsticks.
According to the roadmap included in the leaked documents from Microsoft, the digital-only Xbox Series X mid-gen refresh is set to launch in October, 2024 for the price of $499.
Lastly, Microsoft’s vision for the next-gen Xbox console is 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”. Optimized for real time game play and creators, the console is said to enable new levels of performance beyond the capabilities of the client hardware alone.
Key hardware specs for the next-gen Xbox include a possible ARM64 or x64 Zen 6 CPU, a balance of “big/little” CPU cores, a GPU that is co-design with AMD or based on AMD’s Nevi 5 architecture, and programmable ML silicon. In terms of new features, the console is said to offer “next-gen” DirectX Raytracing, dynamic Global Illumination, Micropolygon Rendering Optimizations, ML Based Super Resolution, extensibility model for faster iteration and innovation, and a “thin” operating system.
