We’re only two years into this generation, and things are heating up in here. It’s essentially the launch of a new console generation up in here, with at least two new consoles slated to launch later this year- the Nintendo NX and the PS4K. But in all the (at this point daily) rumors that both of those machines have been getting, Microsoft can often be forgotten.
Which is a bit of a mystery, since Phil Spencer openly admitted that the company was looking at launching mid cycle hardware upgrades just over a month ago- and while he later stated that he was not interested in doing incremental upgrades like the PS4K is rumored to be, it’s hardly unreasonable to point out that Microsoft are definitely interested in upgraded Xbox hardware regardless.
The Verge today has confirmed that- according to their sources, Microsoft have been testing a variety of new prototype Xbox devices. Some of the prototypes have been tested with upgraded components of the kind that are used to improve the performance of a gaming PC- indicating that new Xbox hardware is definitely incoming some time too. What this Xbox hardware will be, and when it will launch, remains to be seen. But with both Sony and Nintendo gearing up to battle it out at the high end of the console market, it’s clear that Microsoft don’t want to be left out of the conversation.
