As the FTC furiously attempts to stop the Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard, documents presented in its case are pulling back the veil of some of the tech giant's upcoming plans, including a mid-cycle refresh version of its Xbox Series consoles.
While documents yesterday reportedly showed that the next mainline Elder Scrolls game, aptly named The Elder Scrolls VI right now, will not be hitting Sony's PlayStation, it seems the documents also unveiled the plans for a mid-cycle refresh to Microsoft's own Xbox Series S and X consoles.
As reported by IGN, the documents leaked as part of the FTC's ongoing case against Microsoft (which has been confirmed to have been leaked by Microsoft themselves, which you can still check out shared on ResetEra) show an upgraded version of the Xbox Series X as well as a Series S, both of which are reportedly set to be announced in summer of 2024. The Series X refresh, codenamed Brooklin, is reportedly digital only and comes equipped with 16GB of RAM, a 2TB drive for storage, and packs 12 TFLOPS of power under the hood, which is identical to what the current Xbox Series X has. Interestingly, Xbox is ditching the large rectangle chassis for a giant cylinder.
Xbox Series X Refresh/mid-gen info leaked thanks to FTC documents https://t.co/3KHgiOnQJd-Xbox Series X refresh digital only (2TB storage), target launch Oct 2024-New Xbox controller with gyroSource from attachments in PDF https://t.co/tuikvo2h5F pic.twitter.com/fFzEbepHdl
— Wario64 (@Wario64) September 19, 2023
The Series S refresh, meanwhile, has similar specs to the existing console: 10GB of RAM, 4 TFLOPs of power, and targeting 1440p resolution. This console is codenamed Ellewood and according to the documents it's slated to release in August 2024.
Where these consoles seem to improve on the existing design is down to sustainability. According to the documents, the packaging is made from all recyclable materials, while the stand-by mode in the refreshed consoles will be more efficient, using 20% of the current standby mode's power draw.
Brooklin is slated to release in October of 2024, and, according to images in the court documents, will include a new controller type Microsoft is also working on. Codenamed Sebile, the controller looks like a standard Xbox Series controller, but will seemingly feature gyro support. It is noted to be shipping with both refreshed consoles, but also hit the market in May 2024 at a price of $70.
